NCW team to visit Rajasthan's Bhilwara to probe 'auctioning of girls' case
Oct 28, 2022
New Delhi [India], October 28 : Chairperson of National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma on Friday said a team of NCW is being sent to the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan to investigate the auctioning of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.
NCW Chairperson further said that similar incidents have been reported for the last few years but the State government has not taken action so far.
Sharma will also meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP) on November 1 in connection with the case.
"A team of NCW is being sent to Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. On Nov 1, I will meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP). Similar incidents reported from the state for the last few years but no action taken so far," said Sharma.
Notably, the Commission has constituted a two-member fact-finding team to investigate the matter.
The NCW has taken cognizance of the reported crime which is extremely appalling and traumatizing.
The Commission said that it has been reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper.
NCW Chairperson has also written to Chief Secretary, the Government of Rajasthan to take urgent action in the matter and apprise the Commission of the action taken.
The Commission has also written to the Director General of Police, Rajasthan to immediately invoke relevant provisions in the FIR and to arrest all the accused at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan State Commission for Women also took cognizance of media reports that minor girls in some districts of Rajasthan are sold on Stamp Paper and issued notice to the Director General of Police and Bhilwara Collector.
The State Commission also demanded immediate action and a factual report in seven days.
Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal on Thursday condemned the Bhilwara incident and said that suo-moto cognizance was taken immediately.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also served notice to the Government of Rajasthan on the reported auctioning of girls on stamp papers and the refusal thereof resulting in the rape of their mothers to settle disputes on the diktats of Caste Panchayats in the State.
However, Rajasthan minister Pratap Khachariyawas refuted the reports of the selling of girls in the State.
"It is a matter of investigation. When such information comes out, we can't know the truth until there is a probe. NHRC should have spoken to the Rajasthan police first about this. Selling of girls doesn't happen in the state," said Khachariyawas.
According to reports carried in media on October 26 this year, caste panchayats in Rajasthan were committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq where girls are enslaved. Reportedly, in Bhilwada, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, instead of going to the police, the caste panchayats are approached for a settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slaves. It they fail to honour their commitments, there are orders for the mothers of the girls to be raped.
