SC anger over laxity in probe worries Nitish

Patna: The Muzaffarpur shelter home where 34 minor girls were sexually abused has not only raised a question mark on the law and order scenario but also made chief minister Nitish Kumar’s detractors invoke fear of the return of jungle raj in Bihar.

The Supreme Court earlier this week expressed dissatisfaction over Bihar government’s lenient approach in filing cases in the shelter home matter and directed the CBI to take over the probe of sexual abuse in 16 other state-run shelter homes.

Terming the state government’s attitude as “shameless, unfortunate and tragic”, the top court had said, “If the child is sodomised you say it’s nothing. How can you do this? It’s inhuman. The state government had assured the court that the matter will be looked with seriousness… is this seriousness? It’s tragic to see the file”.

The court observed that the police filed “soft” FIRs in cases dealing with the sexual, mental and physical exploitation of children (both boys and girls) in shelter homes.

Sources said that after court reprimanded Nitish Kumar-led government, started the process to add stringent charges in connection with the case is being initiated. Government insiders also told this newspaper that section 377 of the IPC and POCSO Act will be added in the FIRs against those who have been involved in the case.

The details of torture and sexual abuse of children between 7 to 17 years at shelter homes in Bihar were mentioned in the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) audit report.

The TISS report had pointed to sexual exploitation in at least 15 out of 110 state-run shelter homes run by the social welfare departmet.

A portion of the report which is available with this newspaper says, “Abuse varying in forms and degrees on intensity was reported to be prevalent in almost all institutions which stood out in a manner that was appalling.”

The audit report was given to the social welfare department in March but the action in the case began in June when the police arrested 11 persons, including Brajesh Thakur, administrator of the NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, which was running the Muzaffarpur shelter home.

Sources said the social welfare department sat on the report for more than a month and the first FIR was registered on May 31.

The CBI on November 20 had arrested Shaista Parveen alias Madhu who is considered one of the closest aides of Brajesh Thakur. Reports suggest that the CBI during its probe in Muzaffarpur shelter home case found that it was Madhu who used to prompt minor girls to have sex with men and also taught them vulgar dance.

However after being arrested Madhu told reporters that she was not associated with the shelter home. “I worked for Brajesh Thakur but I am not aware of the incidents that happened in his shelter home.” After arresting Madhu, the CBI also nabbed a doctor who used to give sedative injections to minor girls inside the Muzaffarpur shelter home.  The case was handed over to the CBI in July after the Opposition parties started blaming NDA leaders of interfering in police probe.