Makawanpur police arrested Lal Bahadur BK of Sudama in Chhatiwan VDC-9 yesterday on the charge of selling his own daughters. 

Based on a tip off from CWIN Children Helpline, Lal Bahadur, along with Padam Bahadur Waiba and Sitaram Waiba were rounded up from Harnamadi, Hetauda-25. The Waiba brothers, who identified themselves as workers at a Kathmandu based carpet factory, were caught while escorting Lal Bahadur’s 14 and 11-year-old daughters along with two other girls from the same village for employment at a carpet factory in the Capital. 

According to CWIN Children Helpline Hetauda programme coordinator Jhabindra Gyawali, they had paid Lal Bahadur Rs 50,000 for the girls. “Besides, they had paid 25,000 rupees for two other girls aged 14 and 18,” said Gyawali. “We swung into action after Lal Bahadur’s wife got wind of it and informed the local CIWIN office,” said Makawanpur district police office spokesperson Deepak Thapa. “We’ve started investigation and will take necessary action once the investigation is over,” he said. 

Lal Bahadur, however, has denied selling his daughters and argued that he had sent the girls to earn for the family. “As we’re a poor family we were sending them hoping that they would earn bread for us,” Lal Bahadur said.

Published on: 29 October 2014 | The Himalayan Times