NEW DELHI: As rape survivors of Muzaffarpur shelter home made reference to one “tondwale uncle Netaji” (leader with paunch) and also one “moochwale uncle ji” (uncle with moustache) in their statements and accused the two of sexual assaulting them, the Supreme Court on Monday directed CBI to find out their identity and catch them in three months.

A vacation bench of Justices Indu Malhotra and M R Shah rejected the plea of CBI which sought six months’ more time to complete the investigations and directed it to complete the task within three months. Placing the status report before the bench, additional solicitor general Madhavi Divan said the agency had unearthed remains of two bodies and it was waiting for forensic reports to identify the deceased.

Refuting the allegation that the agency was trying to protect influential people allegedly involved in the case by not slapping murder charges against them, Divan told the bench that probe was still on into the disappearance of 11 girls from the home, who were allegedly murdered by main accused Brajesh Thakur. She said the 21 accused in the case had been charged with most heinous offence and trial in rape and sexual assault case was going on.

The court was hearing an application filed by Patna-based social activist Nivedita Jha who approached the SC through advocate Fauzia Shakil and raised questions on CBI’s ongoing probe. It said survivors had stated to CBI that they were sent to hotels and also raped by outsiders and friends of Thakur, who would visit the Balika Grih, but the agency failed to conduct probe to catch those people. Jha alleged that victims had allegedly recorded their statements before the judicial magistrate and had made reference to one “tondwale uncle Netaji” and also to one “moochwale uncle ji” who used to visit the shelter home but the agency had not found them out.

In an affidavit filed in the court, CBI said, “The victims during there examination in the presence of experts of NIMHANS had revealed names of 11 girls who were allegedly murdered by Brajesh Thakur and his accomplices. These allegations are being duly investigated in the right earnest by scrutinising the master register maintained at the Balika Grih and field level verification ... as to the existence of girls alleged to have been murdered.”

Advocate Aparna Bhat, who is assisting the court as amicus curie, told the bench that probe should also be conducted against people for subjecting the girls to unnatural sex and recording their video. She also pleaded that the probe should not be delayed as the survivors will be forced to go through the trauma of revisiting the horrible times during investigation.

Agreeing with Bhat’s plea, the bench directed the agency to probe into all aspects, including finding outsiders who were involved and facilitated sexual assault of inmates after administering them drugs and intoxicants.

“It is evident from the statements of the victims, that a large scale prostitution racket was being run by Brajesh Thakur. From the perusal of the chargesheet, it is apparent that CBI is trying to shield the real perpetrators and has intentionally avoided to investigate the leads given by the victims about the outsiders and the alleged friends of Thakur who were involved in the offence,” the petitioner said.

