On Reported Sale Of Girls Over Loans In Rajasthan, Rights Panel's Move

Chairperson of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma on Friday said a team is being sent to the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan to investigate the alleged auctioning of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments there.

The 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.

Ms Sharma will also meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary 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 and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP). Similar incidents reported from the state for the last few years but no action taken so far," she said.

Notably, the Commission has constituted a two-member fact-finding team to investigate the matter.

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 written to the state's Chief Secretary 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 the Bhilwara Collector.

The state commission 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-motu cognizance was taken immediately.

The 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," he said.

According to reports carried in media on October 26 this year, caste panchayats in Rajasthan were committing this crime. Reportedly, in Bhilwara, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, instead of going to the police, the caste panchayats are approached for a settlement. If they fail to honour their commitments, there are orders for the mothers of the girls to be raped.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)