NHRC notice to Bihar govt DGP over 'sexual exploitation' of women workers in Muzaffarpur firm

     New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) The NHRC has sent notices to the Bihar government and the state's police chief over a report that a number of women working in a private network company in Muzaffarpur district were given intoxicating pills and forced to have a physical relation by the operator of the firm.
     Reportedly, the number of such victimised girls is stated to be more than one hundred, the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
     The NHRC said it has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that a number of women working in a private network company in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district were given intoxicating pills, beaten, and forced to make physical relation by the operator of the company".
     A large number of "criminal cases" are allegedly registered in various districts of Bihar against the company, but the police has "not taken any strict action" in this matter. The company has its branches at many places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal, it said.
     "According to the media report, carried on June 18, the girls are being physically and mentally exploited in more than 10 districts of Bihar including Muzaffarpur, Supaul, East Champaran, West Champaran, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj," the statement said.
     Reportedly, the operator of the networking company has allegedly a "history of involvement in criminal activities", it said. He takes girls to Nepal in the name of providing training, where they are "physically exploited and if they protest, they are mercilessly beaten up", it added.
     The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violation. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Bihar, seeking a detailed report within one week.
     The report sought from the state government is to include the number of criminal cases registered against the operator and the networking company, mentioned in the news report, the status of their investigation, and action taken by the police and civic authorities against the perpetrators, the statement said.
     The Commission would also like to know about relief and rehabilitation as well as medical treatment and counselling services provided by the authorities to the victim girls as well as steps taken or proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, it added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)