Congress exposed girls' auction during BJP rule in Rajasthan, says CM Ashok Gehlot

JAIPUR: Under fire over reports of 'auctioning' of girls to settle financial dues, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the Congress had earlier exposed such cases that happened during the previous BJP regime in the state.
"Such an incident happened in 2005 when the BJP was in power. In 2019, we exposed it. In all, 21 persons were arrested; three of them have died and one is absconding. Two children died and the rest went to their homes. It turned into national news," said Gehlot in Surat. It's been alleged that whenever there is a dispute, particularly involving financial transactions and loans, between two parties, people approach caste-based panchayats to settle the matter and the auctioning results.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Women (NCW), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Rajasthan State Commission for Women (RSCW) have all sought reports about the allegations that girls as young as eight years old are being openly auctioned on stamp papers in over half-a-dozen districts of the state. Meanwhile, DGP ML Lather through a statement said police have intensified patrolling in districts and areas from where reports of such atrocities are pouring in.
Two girls who were 'sold' were rescued in 2019: DGP ML Lather
Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather said on Saturday that two girls who were allegedly sold in the state were rescued by police in 2019.
"A section of the media had reported about two girls being sold. Both of them are at Nari Niketen in Ajmer after they were rescued under 'Operation Gudiya' in 2019. At that time, we had registered a case under appropriate sections of POCSO and Juvenile Justice Act at Hanuman Nagar police station in Ajmer."
"Under 'Operation Gudiya', out of seven girls who were rescued, five were handed over to their families and the two others were sent to Nari Niketan because efforts to trace their families bore no fruit. We had even arrested 25 persons for illegal trafficking of women and a chargesheet was filed in court," Lather added.
The DGP said police have intensified patrolling in the districts and areas from where reports of such atrocities are coming.