CHILDHOOD TURNED INTO COMMODITY: NHRC SEEKS ANSWERS OVER ALLEGED TRAFFICKING OF MINOR GIRLS ACROSS THREE STATES
November 4, 2026
NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the governments and police chiefs of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra over reports alleging the large-scale trafficking and sale of minor girls, with victims reportedly being transferred through middlemen using forged adoption documents.
Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report, the human rights body said minor girls were allegedly being sold by their parents to intermediaries for amounts ranging between ₹3 lakh and ₹5 lakh in several districts along the borders of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
According to the NHRC, the girls were subsequently trafficked by middlemen using fabricated documents that falsely identified them as their adopted children. The Commission further stated that, after the victims reached adulthood, they were allegedly sold in different cities of Maharashtra for amounts ranging from ₹35 lakh to ₹40 lakh for sexual exploitation. Their personal details were reportedly altered to conceal their identities.
The human rights body observed that, if the allegations were found to be true, the reported practices would constitute serious violations of the fundamental human rights of the girls involved.
The Commission has sought detailed reports from the chief secretaries and directors general of police of all three states within two weeks. The notices are intended to obtain explanations and information regarding the reported trafficking network and the action taken by the respective state authorities.
The media report, published on October 30, reportedly documented four specific cases involving girls who had allegedly been trafficked. It indicated that poverty and other circumstances were among the reasons cited for parents allegedly selling their daughters to intermediaries.
The NHRC's intervention brings renewed attention to the vulnerability of minor girls to organised trafficking networks, the misuse of adoption-related documentation and the exploitation of children across state boundaries. The allegations now place the three state administrations under scrutiny as the Commission awaits their responses.
