New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday responded to the reports of alleged child trafficking in Bhilwara after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice on the reported auctioning of girls on stamp papers and refusal resulting in the rape of their mothers to settle disputes.
"The incident happened in 2005 when the BJP was in power. In 2019, we came and exposed it. 21 accused were arrested, 3 died and 1 absconding. 2 children died, rest went to their homes. It was turned into national news: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said, as quoted by ANI.
While the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed the matter to be from 2005, the Chairperson of Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Sangeeta Beniwal, said that the case is from 2019.
The statement came after she held a meeting at the Collectorate in Bhilwara with District Collector, Superintendent of police (SP), and other officials present.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on Friday claimed that government officials and politicians are involved in the alleged child trafficking.
"It's clear that government officials and politicians are involved. Without political and administrative support, child trafficking of this kind cannot happen in an organised way," Priyank Kanoongo said.
He said he will visit the village affected by trafficking and meet affected families on November 7. "I'll try to know who all are involved in this nexus. We'll see that nexus gets banned and accused is punished," ANI quoted him as saying.
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A team by National Commission for Women is also being sent to the Bhilwara district to probe the claims.
"A team of NCW is being sent to Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. On November 1, I will meet the Rajasthan Chief Secretary and Superintendent of Police, Bhilwara. Similar incidents reported from the state for the last few years but no action taken so far," Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW said, as reported by ANI.
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Caste Panchayats In Rajasthan Committing Crimes Like Syria and Iraq Where Girls Are Enslaved: NHRC Cites Media Reports
The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that claimed girls are sold on stamp paper in a half dozen districts of Rajasthan for settlement of disputes and if they don't agree, their mothers are subjected to rape on the diktats of cast panchayats.
"Reportedly, 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. These girls are being sent to U.P., M.P., 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," the notice read.
The Commission also observed that the claims if true, amount to human rights violations of the victims of "such abominable practice."
It issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan calling for a detailed report on the matter, along with an action taken report, measures already taken and if not, proposed to be taken to prevent such gory incidents.
The notice cited a media report dated October 26 as claiming that the Caste Panchayats in Rajasthan are committing crimes "like Syria and Iraq where the girls are enslaved."
"Reportedly, in Bhilwada, 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," the NHRC added.
The media report claimed that in order to pay off Rs 15 lakh debt, a Caste Panchayat forced a man to sell his sister first, and when the debt was not cleared, he was forced to sell his 12-year-old daughter. The buyer purchased the girl for Rs 8 lakh, it stated.
"Thereafter, all the five sisters became slave but still their father could not pay off his debt. 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. In order to settle the loan, he sold his small daughter for Rs 6 lakh to some people, who took her to Agra. She was sold three times and became pregnant four times," the NHRC report mentioned citing the media reports.
Rajasthan State Commission for Women has taken cognisance of the media reports and issued notice to the Director General of Police and Bhilwara Collector demanding immediate action and a factual report in seven days.
The NHRC has asked Rajasthan Government to elaborate on the steps taken to ensure 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".
(With Agency Inputs)