The bid begins at Rs 5,000. ``I'm ready to offer Rs 6,000,'' a bidder shouts. Others join the race. The price is going up till it reaches Rs 9,000 -- sometimes even much more -- and the object of auction, a young woman, is handed over to the highest bidder.

In an auction at Eluru a few days ago, eight young women in the age group of 16-30 years were up for grabs. Shocking? Not in this part of the country. It's a practice in two communities here that women, meant to work as prostitutes, are paraded before the bidders and given to the highest bidder on lease for one-year contracts.

Most of the women, bidders and the auctioneers belong to the Dommara and Bhogam communities. Some of the women come from nearby towns such as Tenali, Nidadavole, Velpur, Tanuku and Tadepalligudem.Eight to 10 women go on yearly `contracts' after every quarterly auction.

Sending the women on contract has been a practice among the two communities. Men in most of the Dommara families rear pigs and the Bhogam men work as labourers.

Residents of Eluru do not want to speak on record, but here's how a local describes the deal: ``A woman whom the highest bidder has bought will go with him on a contract of doing `business' at his place for a year. During the one-year period, she will be in the custody of the bidder. It is his responsibility to provide accommodation and security to the woman. On expiry of the contract, the girl will return to her place.''

Take the case of Lalita Kumari (not her real name), who was taken to Chilakaluripeta. The highest bidder offered Rs 13,000. The auctioneers took Rs 3,000, and gave the rest to her. If the Chilakaluripeta operator, the bidder who got her on contract, earns Rs 500 per day on her, he keeps 60 per cent, and she gets the rest. If she wants to quit half way,she can return the contract amount and leave.

Bidders from Tadepalligudem, Tanuku and other towns in the district as well as from far-off places like Tirupati, Ongole and Chirala attend the quarterly auctions in Eluru. The bids range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000. ``All payments are made on the spot,'' says a Kalidas -- all Dommara men carry this surname.

The auctions are not always peaceful. At the recent auction, a wordy duel between bidders and auctioneers erupted. Some of the bidders of Tadepalligudem had taken three women in a previous auction and sold them to a brothel in Mumbai. Says a 30-year-old woman who was witness to the auction: ``The bidders violated the terms of the contract. They were supposed to hand the women over to us by March next. If they fail to do so, they would be fined heavily.''

According to reliable sources, auctioning of women goes on unchecked in towns like Tanuku, Tadepalligudem and Nidadavole in the district as well as in Tenali and Guntur in the coastal districts of thestate.

Prostitution is a flourishing industry in Eluru. During the 10-month period ending October 31, petty cases under Section 294 of the IPC were booked against 912 women in the district on the charge of ``doing obscene acts to the annoyance of others in public places.'' Of them, 882 were convicted, one acquitted and 29 cases were pending trial.

However, only 19 cases under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking (PIT) Act were booked against brothel-keepers. While five were convicted, cases against 14 others are pending trial with various courts.

Says Police Superintendent Ravi Gupta: ``We have been taking action to curb the social evil. Recently, on receipt of information, raids were conducted at various places in the district and cases were booked against 25 women on charges of indulging in the flesh trade.''

But Gupta says the auctions have not come to their notice yet. ``We will verify the present case and take action if it is true,'' he says.