14-year-old Tripura girl gets pregnant after parents sell her due to ‘poverty’; HC steps in for her safety

Tripura high court on Thursday sought suggestions from respective agencies to ensure safety of a 14-year-old girl, who reportedly became pregnant after she was sold in Rajasthan by her parents due to "abject poverty."

Taking suo motu congnizance of a report regarding the incident, a division bench registered a Public Interest Litigation and issued notices to Tripura home department, Tripura human rights commission, state legal service authority and Tripura State Commission for Protection of Child Rights for suggesting measures to ensure her safety and bring her back to her home.

The girl is presently kept at a women shelter home at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. "Unfortunately, she also seems to be carrying a pregnancy of about two and half months," the court said in its order on Thursday.

The bench comprising chief justice Akil Kureshi and justice S. Talapatra also sought suggestions from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights for steps to bring her back from Rajasthan. All the agencies have been asked to reply to the notices by Friday.

"We can only imagine the current mental state of the girl. We would request all respondents to mull over and suggest appropriate ways to ensure safety and security of the minor girl. In particular, suggestions may be made on how at the earliest the girl can be brought back to Tripura and as and when she is brought back, how to ensure her safety and well being," the court order said.