“[Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Dedication]

(1) Commercial sexual exploitation shall be prohibited. (2) It shall be the duty of the State to remove all commercially sexually exploited children from their existing place of exploitation and to ensure that they are rehabilitated and integrated into society. (3) The State shall prepare a comprehensive Plan of Action for this purpose which shall include providing education and livelihood skills to such children and the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation (4) Any person who exploits a child for commercial sexual exploitation shall be liable to pay a penalty which may extend to Rs. 1,00,000/- and imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years. This will be in addition to any penalty or punishment that may be enforced under any other Act in force. (5) All steps shall be taken at the protective home to restrict or even deny the visiting rights of any one who may be considered to be a perpetrator, including the parent of the child. (6) Notwithstanding any custom or law to the contrary, the dedication of a minor girl child as a devadasi, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, and whether she has consented to such dedication or not, is hereby declared unlawful, void, and to be of no effect and any minor girl child so dedicated shall not thereby be deemed to have become incapable of entering into a valid marriage. (7) Any person who, after the commencement of this Act, abets the performance of any ceremony or any act for dedicating a minor girl child as a devadasi or and ceremony or act connected therewith shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 3 years and with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees: Provided that where the person referred to in this Section is the parent or guardian or a relative of the minor girl child so dedicated, he shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description which may extend to 5 years but which shall not be less than 2 years and with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees but which shall not be less than two thousand rupees.