Nitish Kumar promises action in Muzaffarpur shelter home case

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday promised strict action against those guilty in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case where 34 minor girls were brutally raped by employees and officials of the facility. While addressing a gathering at “Makhy-amantri Kanya Uthan Yojna” program Nitish Kumar described the incident as “most shameful” and said, “The state government will not compromise on the issue and all those who have been involved in the case will be severely punished”.

Bihar CM further said that “The case has already been handed over to the CBI. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had earlier said on the floor of the house that the state government would like the probe to be monitored by the high court. There is a rule of law in Bihar and the state government will never compromise on the law and order issue”.

This was the first occasion when Bihar CM spoke on the Muzaff-arpur incident. Sources say that Nitish Kumar has also been upset after Social welfare minister Manju Verma’s husband’s name surfaced in the case.

Nitish Kumar has been facing stiff criticism from the opposition parties especially RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who demanded his resignation and blamed him and other NDA leaders of trying to protect “big faces” involved in the case including the main accused Brajesh Thakur.

Tejashwi Yadav has also announced to lead a protest march and stage a dharna in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Saturday against the Muzaffarpur shelter home incident.

Tejashwi Yadav said that he also urged all opposition parties to support him in his protest in the national capital.

“Against heinous institutional mass rape in Muzaffarpur sponsored and protected by Nitish Kumar, we will stage a dharna on Saturday at Jantar Mantar. Request all to attend”, Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet on Friday.

Muzaffarpur Shelter home issue had surfaced in March after a Mumbai based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) found sexual assault victims. An audit report was submitted to the social welfare department by the institute following which authorities registered an FIR and rescued girls from the shelter home and shifted them to other safer places.

Officials and employees of the shelter home run by NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikash Samiti have been accused of physically and sexually exploiting children between 7 to 17 years. Ten persons including Brajesh Thakur, the administrator of the NGO was arrested by the police in June.

The victims, including handicapped minor girls, were subjected to extreme brutality and even thrashed when they tried to raise their voices against employees of the shelter home. Sources claim that they were beaten up by iron rods and made to sit naked for hours.

There are also allegations that shelter home authorities in connivance with the administrator of the NGO running the shelter home had carried out the abortion of girls after they became pregnant.