[Reader-list] Odisha woman sold for Rs 25, 000 at public auction in UP

[Asit Das]

Odisha woman sold for Rs 25,000 at public auction in UP !

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
New Delhi, July 26:

In a shocking incident, a woman from Odisha was allegedly sold at a public
auction in Hamirpur district in Uttar Pradesh, a report in the Deccan
Herald said on Friday.

According to the report, the auction took place at the baaratghar
(community centre) in Jarakhar village and continued till well into
Thursday night.

The woman was ultimately bought by the highest bidder, a resident of the
same village who paid Rs 25,000 and took possession of her.

The Deccan Herald report, quoting sources, said the woman was originally
bought by a resident of Jharakhar village Sohanlal Valmiki, who had worked
in Odisha for a few months.

Valmiki had brought the woman to the village a few days back.

“After exploiting the woman for all these days, Valmiki decided to sell her
through an auction to get the best price. The initial bid for the hapless
woman was for Rs 10,000 which went up to Rs 15,000. The woman, according to
the reports, refused to go with an old man who had agreed to pay Rs 15,000.
Ultimately, Brijbhan Kori of the same village bought her for Rs 25,000 and
took her away,” the newspaper report said, adding, hundreds of curious
onlookers were also present when the auction took place.

“We have reports of such an auction. We are investigating it. Stern action
will be taken against the guilty if the reports turn out true,” a police
officer was quoted as saying.

” Earlier also reports of buying of young girls from Bihar, West Bengal and
Jharkhand by UP youths, especially from the western region, have been
received.The sex ratio has decreased alarmingly in the western districts in
the state and the families are finding it very difficult to get brides for
their men,” the Deccan Herald report noted.