New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday constituted a two-member fact-finding team to investigate reports of alleged "auctioning" of girls on stamp papers to settle disputes over loan repayments in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.
The NCW has taken cognisance of the reported crime which it said was "extremely appalling and traumatising." The Commission said that it has been reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper.
"The National Commission for Women has come across several media posts wherein it has been reported that girls were auctioned off to settle disputes over loan repayments Bhilwara, Rajasthan. It has been further reported that in many settlements of the village, girls are sold for prostitution on stamp paper. In some cases, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of caste panchayats for the settlement of disputes," the NCW said in a statement.
Rajasthan government facing the ire of human rights bodies
The Rajasthan government is now facing the ire of human rights bodies on the reported incident of ‘auction’ of girls in Bhilwara districts of the state. After taking suo-moto cognizance,
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to the state government seeking a detailed report of the matter, while the National Commission for Women has sent a team to the district. Also, Rajasthan State Commission for Women and Rajasthan State Child Rights Commission have issued notices to the state government and police.
NHRC in its notice stated that “the Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to human rights violations of the victims of such abominable practice.”
In its notice to the chief secretary of Rajasthan, NHRC has sought a detailed report on the matter, along with an action taken report, qua measures already taken and if not, proposed to be taken to prevent such gory incidents.
NCW to send team to Bhilwara
Besides NHRC, the National Commission of Women (NCW) has also taken cognizance of the reports. Rekha Sharma, the Chairperson of NCW said, “A team of NCW is being sent to Bhilwara. I’ll meet Rajasthan CS and SP Bhilwara on November 1. Similar incidents have been reported from the state for the last few years but no action taken so far.”
The Rajasthan State Commission for Women and The Child Rights Commission of Rajasthan have also issued notice to the DG police and Collector Bhilwara demanding immediate action and a factual report in seven days. “We condemn the Bhilwara incident and immediately issue a notice. If need be, I’ll go myself to the spot,” said Sangeeta Beniwal, the Chairperson of the Child Rights Commission.
The notice also sought the status of cases, including the registration of FIRs, charge-sheet, arrest, if any, in such incidents and the mechanism initiated to apprehend the people involved in such systematic crimes of flesh trade in the State.
The report must also mention steps being taken or proposed to be taken against the public servant(s), who purported to have neglected perpetually prevention of such incidents.
The Commission, in the meanwhile, has also asked its Special Rapporteur, Umesh Kumar Sharma to visit and inspect the affected areas, within the State of Rajasthan, and submit a comprehensive report on the incidents noted and the prevailing practice in the area, at the earliest, preferably, not later than three months.
Caste Panchayats are committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq
The NHRC said that according to the media report, carried out on October 26, the Caste Panchayats in Rajasthan are allegedly committing this crime like in Syria and Iraq where the girls are enslaved.
Reportedly, in Bhilwara, whenever there is any dispute between the two parties, they instead of going to the police, approach the Caste Panchayats for its settlement. It becomes the starting point of making the girls slave, if they are not sold, their mothers are ordered to be raped.
Political war of wors
The Bharatiya Janata Party has attacked the ruling Congress, in a tweet BJP spokeperson Shehzad Poonawala alleged that the stories of sexual slavery from barbaric times around 500 year ago are being repeated under Congress now. Watch what Poonawala had to say below.
In the meantime, a political war of words has also started on the alleged reports. The leader of the opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said, “the law and order situation is getting worse in the state and it seems that the government is not taking it seriously. The incidents of Bhilwara are not new but it continues to happen there.”
While defending the government cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariwas said, “it is a matter of investigation and we are unable to reveal the truth until there is a probe.” He said that NHRC should have spoken to the Rajasthan police first about this. The selling of girls doesn’t happen in the state.
(With ANI inputs)
