New Delhi [India], Feb 11 (ANI): The Delhi court on Tuesday awarded life imprisonment to 10 convicts including Brajesh Thakur in connection with the alleged sexual and physical assault of over 40 girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Thakur, who was the owner of an NGO called Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, is convicted under charges of gangrape, rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault and under provisions of POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshrestha also slapped a fine of around Rs 32 lakh against Thakur.

The court also awarded life imprisonment to other 10 accused including three women. Among these 10 convicts, some of the convicts have been sentenced to life imprisonment till life.

It also sentenced 7 years imprisonment to six convicts including four women. One woman convict was awarded three years jail while another woman convict, Rosy Rani, was sentenced six months jail. Rosy Rani was released as she had already served more than six months in jail.

The court has convicted seven other men -- Ravi Roshan, Dilip Verma, Vikash Kumar, Vijay Kumar Tiwari, Guddu Patel, Kishan Ram and Ramanuj Thakur --under various charges dealing with rape and criminal conspiracy.

Two other men -- Ashwini and Rama Shankar were convicted under charges dealing with criminal conspiracy and abetment but were acquitted of rape charge.

Eight women --Shaista Praveen, Indu Kumari, Meenu Devi, Manju Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari, Hema Masih, Kiran Kumari -- were convicted under charges dealing with criminal conspiracy while Rozy Rani was convicted under the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act.

The court had on September 30 kept the order reserved after concluding arguments of both the sides.

More than 40 minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted over a period of time in the shelter home which was run by Brijesh Thakur's state-funded non-governmental organization (NGO). Thakur is the purported mastermind of the incidents.

Earlier, the court had framed various charges including criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault against the accused in the case.

The gruesome incident came to light after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) filed an affidavit detailing horrifying sexual abuse cases at the shelter homes.

The Supreme Court had earlier transferred the case from Bihar to a Delhi court and ordered the judge to complete it within six months. Trial Court then framed charges against 20 accused in the case. (ANI)

