Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Case: Girls believed killed tracked down, found alive

Thirty five girls believed to have been murdered at Bihar’s Muzaffarpur shelter home are in the land of the living, the CBI told the Supreme Court today in a staggering turn of events in the mass sexual assault case that gave way to nationwide displeasure about two years ago.

Previously, the CBI has told the apex court that Brajesh Thakur, who administered the shelter home, and his right-hand men, may have murdered 11 girls and it has recovered a "bundle of bones". At present , the CBI stated that two skeleton were found during their probe and those were of a man and a women. No corroboration of any minor being killed had been recovered.

Appearing for the CBI, Attorney General KK Venugopal, stated that the children assumed to have been killed were later traced and found to be living. The CBI has probed cases of 17 shelter homes in Bihar and a charge sheet has been filed in 13 of them. In four cases, the investigation was shut after no evidence was recovered, said the agency. The CBI status report was welcomed by the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde.

Young girls were constrained to dance to tawdry songs, put under sedation and raped at the government run shelter in the scandal that uncovered the role of politicians and bureaucrats. More horrendous piece of information have been revealed in the chargesheet filed by the CBI against main accused Brajesh Thakur, who was caught grinning at the cameras while being taken to a court hearing.

The case surfaced during a look over by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. A plea was filed by journalist Nivedita Jha before the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation by an independent agency into the charges.

Now, the petitioner's lawyer Shoaib Alam contended in court that the CBI had not responded to statements by inmates who had alleged murders at the shelter. The petitioner has been asked to file a response on the CBI's report.

The probe agency has also asked the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar to act against officials found guilty for lapses in looking after shelter homes in the state during its one-and-a-half year-long probe. Twenty-five Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers are among over 70 officials who could face judicial proceedings.

Also Read: CAA, JNU Violence: St Stephen's College students boycott classes in solidarity

Also Read: Nirbhaya Rape Case: UP executioner says, 'hanging convicts will bring great relief to me'