New Delhi, March 24th, 2011

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that members of Banchra tribes in Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh are abducting young girls; pumping them with hormones and steroids to hasten their physical growth; and selling them into the flesh trade.

According to the report carried today on the 24th March, 2011, the police had recently rescued 21 abducted girls, aged between one and eight, from brothels in a series of raids. Some of the persons arrested in the raids have admitted to giving Estrogen (a hormone) and steroids such as Pednisolone Dexona and Kenacort Dexona to their victims at frequent intervals.

The impact of the drugs can be devastating on the young ones, the report adds. Quoting a senior endocrinologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi, the report says that administering of such drugs would have harmful effects such as abnormal hair growth in the form of a beard or moustache, and a lot of unnecessary weight in girls as young as one year of age.

The Commission in its proceedings today on the 24th March, 2011 observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights of young girls and issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh calling for detailed reports in the matter within four weeks.

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