National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson, Priyank Kanoongo on Monday claimed that 27 girls have been sent outside their village in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, which was in news recently for allegedly selling girls on government stamp papers.
Taking to Twitter after a field visit in a village in the district, he said, “Till date, it is found that 27 girls have been sent outside the village. A probe has been started.”
The NCPCR chief’s visit to the village came after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on October 27 issued a notice to the Rajasthan government 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.
Kanoongo said the place he visited is also the village of the main kingpin of the 2019 scandal where two girls from a family were allegedly sold. “On reaching the village of the victims, it was learned that the family was not in the village. Even other girls of the victim’s family were not found,” Kanoongo said.
Commenting on the claims of NCPCR, district collector Ashish Modi said, “We have received the observations of NCPCR. A probe has been ordered at the level of SDM (sub-divisional magistrate) and a report is asked within two days.”
A person familiar with the development said the NCPCR team visited the school and Anganwadi centre. The girls might have left for another village or dropped out of school.
However, the Rajasthan police said that both the girls are at present living in Nari Niketan, Ajmer. The incident occurred in 2019 and a charge sheet was presented in the court against 25 accused after proving the crime.
Earlier, NHRC and a team of the Rajasthan State Women Commission visited the village and sought a report. Thereafter, former director general of police (DGP), ML Lather said that the police are constantly monitoring and collecting intelligence at sensitive places regarding the trafficking of women and minors.
“Both the above-mentioned girls are at present living in Nari Niketan, Ajmer. In connection with the incident with both the victim girls, in the year 2019, after registering a case under various sections of IPC, POCSO Act, JJ Act and IT Act, a charge sheet has been presented in the court against 25 accused after proving the crime,” said former director general of police (DGP), ML Lather.
NHRC earlier said it took suo motu cognizance of a media report that said “whenever there is a dispute between two parties particularly involving financial transactions and loans etc, the girls aged between 8-18 are auctioned to recover money.”
These girls are being sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and even abroad and subjected to physical abuse, torture and sexual assault, the report claimed.
