Decriminalising Consensual Sex Work in India: A Constitutional and Human Rights Critique of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956

Written by: Priti Rajendra Salunkhe, LL.M., Department of Law, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University, Navi Mumbai

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Supervisor: Dr. Piyush Maheshwari – Associate Professor of Law, Department of Law, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University, Navi Mumbai.

This article critically examines the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA), India’s primary legislation addressing trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Using doctrinal and policy-oriented methodologies, it analyses statutory provisions, enforcement trends, judicial pronouncements, and India’s international obligations. The research underscores the Act’s punitive orientation, which often conflates trafficking with consensual adult sex work, thereby infringing upon constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 19, and 21. Landmark cases such as Gaurav Jain v. Union of India and Budhadev Karmaskar v. State of W.B. reveal a slow transition from moralistic to rights-based interpretations. Comparative international models—including those in New Zealand, Sweden, and the Netherlands—highlight the need for a nuanced, human rights-compliant approach. The paper argues for a legislative shift away from criminalisation toward a victim-centric framework that affirms agency, labour rights, and a clear demarcation between trafficking and consensual sex work.

Keywords: ITPA, trafficking, sex work, constitutional rights, criminalisation, rehabilitation, human rights, legal reform.

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