MP tribal girls say no virginity tests conducted on them

The two tribal girls, who have filed complaints against three government officials for allegedly conducting virginity tests on them prior to a mass marriage function, have taken a U-turn claiming they were forced to lodge complaints with the police.

The two tribal girls, who have filed complaints against three government officials for allegedly conducting virginity tests on them prior to a mass marriage function on June 30 near here, have taken a U-turn claiming they were forced to lodge complaints with the police.

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Saroj Baiga and Arti Baiga, both 19-year-old and residents of Gortara, in separate affidavits to the district administration on July 17 - the next day of lodging complaints against the three officials - claimed that they were compelled to put thumb impression on the complaints submitted to the police, official sources said here today.

In their complaints, both the beneficiaries under the scheme had charged the three officials, including then district Collector Ajit Kumar, of forcibly conducting tests on them before their marriage sponsored by the Madhya Pradesh government under the Chief Minister’s Kanyadan Yojana in Sohagpur town of the district.

Shahdol Collector Neeraj Dubey, who took the charge after the incident, told PTI that he has come to know that both the tribal women have backtracked from their earlier statements.

The Collector said that no virginity test was conducted, adding that only few beneficiaries underwent pre-abdominal tests.