Contradicting the media reports on tribal girls’ auction at some place in the state, Director General of Police M L Lather, on Saturday, categorically denied any ‘sale or auction’ of girls calling it all ‘fake’. He said an old case was ‘recycled or refreshed’ in which a chargesheet was already filed in the court.

“Keeping the Rajasthan Police extremely sensitive to the crimes against women in the state, a special vigil is being kept on the cases related to atrocities against women and a special attention is being paid on prevention and investigation of these crimes,” Lather said.

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The DGP further said, “The published news about two girls has been very old. Both the victims are currently living in Nari Niketan, Ajmer. The alleged aforesaid girls’ case had occurred in the year 2019 in the Hanuman Nagar Police station of the Bhilwara district and the case was registered under various sections of the IPC, POCSO Act, JJ Act and IT Act, against 25 accused. The case’s charge sheet has been presented in the court.”

He recounted that In 2019, Operation Gudiya was run in the Bhilwara district in connection with the purchase and sale of girls. The then SP Harendra Mahawar, Additional SP Anukreethy Ujjainiya and their team brought the accused, who had brought the kidnapped girls for prostitution from kidnappers and had put them behind bars. Prostitution bases were being operated by them in the localities of Itunda, Pandher, Hanuman Nagar of Bhilwara and Napakheda and Jaswant Nagar of the Sanwar police station area of Ajmer.

“The girls who were kidnapped at these bases were drugged for prostitution. In the police investigation, when the gang’s links were found to be connected to the neighboring states, raids were conducted at many places in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. After arresting many accused who bought and sold girls by handing over seven victims including minors, after investigation, a challan was presented in the court after being found guilty against 25 persons,” he said.

DGP claimed that the police were constantly monitoring and collecting intelligence from sensitive places regarding girls ‘kharid-farohkht’ (sale-purchase).

After the news of alleged ‘girls’ auction in Rajasthan appearing in a section of the media (Hindi newspapers), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPRC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) have reacted strongly and announced a probe into the case. They planned to send their teams to these places.

After a getting a notice of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the State Women Commission Chairperson Rehana Rayaz Chisti has planned a regular monthly visit to the tribal districts.