Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case: Supreme Court says, accused is influential

Highlights "Why shouldn't you be sent outside Bihar," top court asks Brajesh Thakur

"Accused influential, obstructing Bihar shelter home case probe": Court

34 out of the 42 young girls were raped as per the medical report

Taking a strong stand in the Bihar shelter home case, where at least 34 young girls were sexually abused, the Supreme Court said on Thursday, that the key accused Brajesh Thakur should be shifted to a jail outside the state as he "is a very influential person."

"The main accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, Brajesh Thakur, is a very influential person and obstructing the ongoing probe...he should be shifted to a jail outside Bihar," said the top court. The court has issued a notice to Brajesh Thakur, seeking his response on why he should not be shifted out of Bihar, for free and fair probe into the case.

Commenting on the status report submitted by the CBI, probing the case, the top court said, the "details are terrible and scary...what is the Bihar government doing about it?."

The state government supported the transfer of Brajesh Thakur to a jail outside Bihar.

The court pulled up the state government and the CBI, asking them to explain why Chandra Shekhar Verma, the husband of former Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma, has not yet been arrested.

Ms Verma had stepped down in April after reports alleging close links between her husband and Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the scandal. Investigating officers claimed that Chandra Shekhar Verma and Brajesh Thakur regularly used to visit the Muzaffarpur home.

The CBI, on October 11, carried out searches at two separate locations in Muzaffarpur in connection with the sexual assault of minor girls at the state-funded shelter home in the district. The searches were carried out at the premises of 'Balika Grih', and at 'Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti', the non-profit group, which ran the centre, said officials.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week, filed a money laundering case and a probe in on to find out whether illegal funds were generated by alleged criminal activities. ED officials said it will soon summon the accused including the shelter home owner Brajesh Thakur.

The sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) to the state's social welfare department in April. The first case was filed on May 31 against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the non-profit group, which ran the government-funded shelter home for destitute girls. The probe was later taken over by the CBI.