As reports of girls being auctioned off on stamp paper to pay off debts in Rajasthan emerged, the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state ML Lather on Saturday said the police were keeping a watch on atrocities against women and had taken stringent actions to curb crimes.
The developments came after a media report emerged alleging that girls were being auctioned on stamp paper in several districts of the state and refusal led to “rape of their mothers to settle financial disputes on the diktats of caste panchayats”. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Rajasthan government over these reports on Friday.
NCW Forms Fact-finding Team
The National Commission of Women (NCW), taking cognizance of the matter, also formed a two-member fact-finding team on Friday to look into the allegations of auctioning off of girls for loan repayment in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, it said in a release.
In its statement, the women’s panel called the reported crimes “extremely appalling and traumatising” and said it had constituted a two member fact-finding team to look into the matter.
NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Rajasthan chief secretary demanding urgent action. The NCW also also wrote to DGP Lather o immediately lodge an FIR under relevant sections and arrest the accused at the earliest.
She said that similar incidents have been reported for the last few years, but the state government has not taken action so far, as per ANI.
Sharma, who visited Sawai Madhopur on Saturday, told ANI, “I felt there is a big racket here, young girls being pushed into flesh trade. Admin has to see if these girls were brought here, girls are also being sent out. Every house here has 5-6 young girls. I feel they are not their own.”
“When I came here in the evening, minor girls were signalling and calling people to them. So, I came with police here today to check the houses,” she added.
Sharma is slated to meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary and the Bhilwara Superintendent of Police (SP) on November 1 in connection with the case.
Police Keeping Tabs on Crimes, Says DGP
Meanwhile, responding to the reports, Rajasthan DGP Lather on Saturday said that the state government was sensitive to crimes against women and special attention was being paid to prevent and investigate such cases.
“Earlier there was a social evil such as prostitution of women in some particular societies. These incidents have been controlled to a great extent by Rajasthan Police by keeping a constant vigil. As soon as information regarding these activities is received, legal action is immediately being taken,” he added.
The police had launched Operation Gudiya in Bhilwara district in 2019 in connection with the auctioning off of girls, he said. The police put several kidnappers who were operating a prostitution racket from bases in Bhilwara and Ajmer, behind bars.
The investigation also found the gang’s links to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The police conducted several raids in these states and arrested several accused. They also rescued seven girls, including minors. A charge sheet in the case against 25 accused has already been presented in court, Lather said in a statement.
Priyank Kanoongo, chairperson of NHRC, will also visit Bhilwara on November 7 to conduct a detailed probe into the allegations. Kanoongo said he would look into the nexus of people involved and the number of villages affected.
State Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said that no one would be spared and assured a thorough investigation into the matter. “We have received this information. Teams have been deployed to investigate everything. We will make sure a proper probe is done. No one will be spared,” ANI quoted him as saying.
(With inputs from PTI)
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