india

Updated: Jul 19, 2019 11:10 IST

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to prepare a rehabilitation plan for 44 girls who were allegedly sexually assaulted at a Muzaffarpur shelter home.

The allegation of sexual assaults first came to light in May last year when TISS had submitted a “social audit” report on the shelter home, run by a non-governmental organisation.

A bench led by Justice NV Ramana on Thursday said TISS must interact with the families of the victims and then ascertain whether they can be reunited. The field work would be carried out under TISS’s project called “Koshish”.

The permission was granted to TISS after Bihar government informed the court that the victims, at present lodged in different child-care institutions, have started showing aggressive behaviour, with some indulging in inflicting self-harm.

In its report submitted last year, TISS had highlighted instances of how girls were beaten up and also harassed by NGO officials. On the orders of the top court, the CBI carried out a probe into the allegations.

The top court’s order came on Bihar government’s application

requesting the court’s permission to hand over the custody of 44 children to their families.