By Agencies
NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women on Friday formed a two-member fact-finding team to look into allegations of auctioning off of girls for loan repayment in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, it said in a release.
The women’s panel said it had come across several media reports about girls being auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments in Bhilwara.
It has been reported that in many settlements, girls are sold into prostitution on stamp paper. In some cases, their mothers are raped on the diktat of ‘khap’ (caste) panchayats for the settlement of disputes, it said.
NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) issued a notice to Rajasthan govt on reports that girls, aged b/w 8-18, in half a dozen districts of Rajasthan are sold on Stamp Paper, & if not, their mothers are subjected to rape on diktats of caste panchayats for settlement of disputes. pic.twitter.com/4MFzutRgNT
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2022
In its statement, the women’s panel called the reported crimes “extremely appalling and traumatising” and said it had constituted a two-member fact-finding team to look into the matter.
National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma has also written to the Rajasthan chief secretary and demanded urgent action.
@NCWIndia has taken cognizance of the matter. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to Chief Secretary, Rajasthan to take urgent action. NCW has also written to DGP @PoliceRajasthan to immediately invoke relevant provisions in the FIR & to arrest all the accused at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/fwRgUHdAyy
— NCW (@NCWIndia) October 28, 2022
According to Scroll.in, in its notice, the National Human Rights Commission directed the chief secretary of the Rajasthan government to submit a detailed report on the matter, along with an action taken report within four weeks.
“The report must also contain how the state government is ensuring the functions of the gram panchayat, as per the constitutional provisions or Panchayati Raj Law to eradicate the caste-based system impinging the human rights and the right to dignity of girls and women in the state,” it said.
The commission has also written to the Director General of Police in Rajasthan to immediately lodge an FIR under relevant sections and arrest the accused at the earliest.
A copy of the letter has been sent to the Superintendent of Police in Bhilwara.
Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of the apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, will also visit Bhilwara on November 7 to conduct a detailed probe into the allegations.
Kanoongo said he would look into the nexus of people involved and the number of villages affected.
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.
A report published in Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar on October 25 alleged that girls aged between 8 to 18 are auctioned to settle disputes in the state, particularly involving financial transactions or loans.
“If not, their mothers are raped on the diktat of caste panchayats for the settlement,” the report claimed. “These girls are sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and even foreign countries.”
NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women on Friday formed a two-member fact-finding team to look into allegations of auctioning off of girls for loan repayment in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, it said in a release.
The women’s panel said it had come across several media reports about girls being auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments in Bhilwara.
It has been reported that in many settlements, girls are sold into prostitution on stamp paper. In some cases, their mothers are raped on the diktat of ‘khap’ (caste) panchayats for the settlement of disputes, it said.
NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) issued a notice to Rajasthan govt on reports that girls, aged b/w 8-18, in half a dozen districts of Rajasthan are sold on Stamp Paper, & if not, their mothers are subjected to rape on diktats of caste panchayats for settlement of disputes. pic.twitter.com/4MFzutRgNT
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2022
In its statement, the women’s panel called the reported crimes “extremely appalling and traumatising” and said it had constituted a two-member fact-finding team to look into the matter.
National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma has also written to the Rajasthan chief secretary and demanded urgent action.
@NCWIndia has taken cognizance of the matter. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to Chief Secretary, Rajasthan to take urgent action. NCW has also written to DGP @PoliceRajasthan to immediately invoke relevant provisions in the FIR & to arrest all the accused at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/fwRgUHdAyy
— NCW (@NCWIndia) October 28, 2022
According to Scroll.in, in its notice, the National Human Rights Commission directed the chief secretary of the Rajasthan government to submit a detailed report on the matter, along with an action taken report within four weeks.
“The report must also contain how the state government is ensuring the functions of the gram panchayat, as per the constitutional provisions or Panchayati Raj Law to eradicate the caste-based system impinging the human rights and the right to dignity of girls and women in the state,” it said.
The commission has also written to the Director General of Police in Rajasthan to immediately lodge an FIR under relevant sections and arrest the accused at the earliest.
A copy of the letter has been sent to the Superintendent of Police in Bhilwara.
Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of the apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, will also visit Bhilwara on November 7 to conduct a detailed probe into the allegations.
Kanoongo said he would look into the nexus of people involved and the number of villages affected.
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.
A report published in Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar on October 25 alleged that girls aged between 8 to 18 are auctioned to settle disputes in the state, particularly involving financial transactions or loans.
“If not, their mothers are raped on the diktat of caste panchayats for the settlement,” the report claimed. “These girls are sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and even foreign countries.”