'Shameful', a 'sin': Nitish Kumar breaks silence on Bihar shelter home rapes

Patna: Days after being targeted by the opposition for his silence over the rape and torture of more than 30 girls at a government-run shelter, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday broke his silence and described the case as "shameful", promising strict, uncompromising action against those guilty.

"What has happened has shamed us. It is a sin. Such cases should not happen again. Those responsible for this should be taught a lesson. There will be no compromise," the Bihar chief minister said.

Nitish Kumar has constantly been on the target of the opposition, especially Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who demanded for the chief minister's resignation and accused him of trying to shield the accused over links with the ruling Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)).

"We have always said that the guilty would not be spared and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has said on the floor of the assembly that we would ourselves like the CBI probe to be monitored by the high court," Nitish Kumar said.

The chief minister stressed on the need to develop institutional mechanisms to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Minor girls as young as seven were sedated, raped, forced to sleep naked and boiling water was poured on them at the shelter home by its politically connected owner and its staff, a police charge-sheet has revealed.

10 people, including owner Brajesh Thakur, have been charged in the document that details a network of police, politicians, administration and criminals exploiting and torturing the girls at the home.

Brajesh Thakur runs several non-profits and allegedly has links to Nitish Kumar's party.

There are allegations that Bihar's Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma's husband visited the shelter home in Muzaffarpur where the girls were tortured and raped over a period of four years.

The wife of an official arrested in the case has claimed that the minister's husband was a regular at the shelter home.