Bhilwara (Rajasthan) – A one‑month investigation found that many poor families are selling their daughters for 3‑5 lakh rupees, forging adoption papers and taking them to Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur where the price climbs to 35‑40 lakh rupees.

The Bhasakar team examined this trafficking network in more than 100 villages across 16 districts on the Rajasthan‑Madhya Pradesh border. By cross‑checking families, school records, FIRs and rescue documents, the team confirmed that many children are being signed over on fake adoption papers and dispatched to various cities.

Two main methods of child sale

First method – parents, burdened by debt, sell their daughter directly to a broker for 2‑5 lakh rupees. For example, a father in a village in Bundi said he gave his two daughters to relatives, while another family sold three daughters for 50‑50 thousand rupees each.

Second method – a fake adoption (stamp) is prepared, presenting the girl as an ‘adopted’ child, after which she is sold in big cities for millions. This process was clearly observed in two villages in Jhalawar, where girls were kept with relatives before being sold.

Nature of trafficking in Mumbai

In Andheri, Parel, Bandra and bars in Central Mumbai, brokers promised work to girls under an eight‑year agreement. Broker Ravikishan said the initial rate is 25‑30 lakh rupees, while the actual rate rises to 35‑40 lakh rupees.

According to the report, two girls aged 15‑17 and three girls aged 20 were trapped in this network. Documents are fabricated to change names and addresses, keeping identities hidden.

Police action and rescue

During a probe at Nairul police station in Mumbai, three girls were found sold under an agreement and are now placed in Devanar Girls’ Home. Police said that in the past five years, 34 minor girls from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other states have been rescued.

  • The web spans 16 districts including Bhilwara, Jhalawar, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Kota, Pratapgarh and Rajsamand.
  • Reports of parents selling daughters for 3‑5 lakh rupees have been received.
  • Girls are forged on adoption papers and sold in big cities for 35‑40 lakh rupees.
  • In Mumbai, a false promise of work under an eight‑year agreement is made.