New Delhi [India], November 4 :  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging the sale and trafficking of minor girls from districts along the borders of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to cities in Maharashtra.
The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries and Director General of Police (DGPs) of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, seeking detailed reports on the matter within two weeks.
According to the media report, parents in several border districts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan allegedly sell their minor daughters to middlemen for amounts ranging from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh due to poverty and other reasons.
The report further alleged that middlemen traffic the girls using false documents that identify them as their adopted children. On attaining adulthood, the girls are allegedly sold for Rs. 35 lakh to Rs. 40 lakh in different cities of Maharashtra for sex trade, after their personal details are changed to conceal their identities.
The NHRC observed that the contents of the report, if true, raise serious concerns over violations of the human rights of the victim girls.
The media report, published on October 30, cited four specific cases of girls allegedly trafficked through this process.
The Commission has sought detailed reports from the three state governments and their police chiefs within two weeks.