An extremely disturbing news that will put any civilised society to shame has surfaced from Bhilwara in Rajasthan, where minor girls were auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments.
According to local media reports, whenever there is a dispute between the two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans etc, the girls aged between 8-18 are auctioned to recover money.
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Girls auctioned on stamp paper
These girls are being sent to UP, MP, Mumbai, Delhi, and even foreign countries and subjected to physical abuse, torture, and sexual assault in slavery. The media reports have documented the ordeal of many victims of such horrendous crimes.
In some cases, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of caste panchayats for the settlement of disputes.
The ‘buyer’ and the ‘seller’ also made their deal ‘official’ by documenting the ‘transaction’ on stamp paper.
According to reports, at least a dozen such cases have been documented.
Man sold sister, four daughters to pay Rs 15 lakh loan
In one of the cases, a man was ordered by a Caste Panchayat to first sell his sister and then his 12-year-old daughter after he was unable to repay a loan of Rs 15 lakhs.
Even after this, he could only settle half of his loan and was forced to sell his four more daughters as slaves, yet the father could not pay off his debt.
Daughter sold to pay off Rs 6 lakhs loan
In another incident a man was forced to sell his house and further take a loan of Rs. 6 lakh for the treatment of his wife, who later died, he took Rs. 6 lakh more for the treatment of his mother. To settle the loan, he sold his daughter for Rs. 6 lakh to some people, who took her to Agra. She was sold three times and became pregnant four times.
NHRC issues notice
Following media reports, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which took suo motu cognizance of the matter on Thursday issued a notice to the Rajasthan government.
The commission has asked for a detailed report from the chief secretary of Rajasthan in the matter, along with a report on what action has been taken, measures that are already taken and if not, proposed to be taken to prevent such incidents.
Report on action taken so far
The NHRC said the report must 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.
A notice has also been issued to the Rajasthan DGP to submit a detailed report mentioning the initiation of criminal prosecution against the perpetrators of such crimes, the NHRC said.
Condemning the incident, the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal on Thursday said that suo-moto cognizance was taken immediately.
“We condemn the Bhilwara incident, and immediately took suo-moto cognizance. Notice was issued to Bhilwara DM and SP to submit a detailed report in 3 days,” she said.
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