Taking action on a report of tribal women being auctioned in Mandwa village of Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh Women's Commission chairperson Savita Inamdar on Tuesday directed the district collector and superintendent of police to submit a report on the incident.
The incident was brought to the notice of the district administration when a forest official on Monday petitioned the sub-divisional magistrate to protect his wife from being auctioned by people of the Bheel tribe, official sources said.
The official, Bamania, belonging to Bhilala tribe, had married the woman belonging to Bheel tribe a few years back and they have four children.
However, a few days back, her parents forcibly took her to their place in Mandwa, where the Bheel Samaj Sudhar Samiti had reportedly organised a convention. At the assembly women who had married outside the tribe were being auctioned to persons of their own tribe, sources said.
A person offered to pay Rs 5,500 for Bamania's wife. But when the forest official objected and the police intervened, the Bheel tribe members protested, they said.
Senior officials rushed to the village, where angry tribals pelted stones on the vehicles of the district administration, the sources added.
Prior to Bamania's wife, four tribal women were allegedly auctioned in the convention, police added.
State Fisheries Minister Hiralal Silawat reportedly attended the convention two days back. But no auction took place in his presence, the sources said.