SC gives CBI 3 more months to finish shelter home probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday broadened the scope of the CBI investigation into Muzaffarpur horror home case directing it to probe the allegations of trafficking of girls, video graphing of the offence of sexual abuse,  and the role of outsiders.

Granting three months more time to complete the probe, the vacation bench of Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice M.R. Shah directed the investigating agency to probe the offences under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code — un-natural sex — role of the outsides, video recording of the offence  of sexual abuse, trafficking and all other aspects.

The shelter home which has now come to be known as a horror home was used for the sexual abused of young boys and girls sheltered there.  The court directed the investigating agency to file a status report based on its investigation.

The court order investigations against outsiders as senior counsel Shekhar Naphade appearing for petitioner Nivedita Jha said that the CBI was only investigating people who were named and not the others. Amicus curiae Aparna Bhat drew the attention of the court on certain persons were video graphing the offence.

Seeking six months time to complete the investigations, Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan told the court that they have excavated the remains of two bodies. She told the court that the forensic report is awaited and it is not clear whether recovered remains are that of girls or boys.

Divan appearing CBI told the court that there are aspects that needed to be investigated including how entire affair was not revealed to the judicial and other officers who had visited the shelter homes for inspections.

Divan told the court that the chairman of the Child Welfare Committee too is being proceeded against. She told the court that we have charged the accused with heinous offences attracting imprisonment of life or 10 years.

While Naphade and amicus curiae Aparna Bhat raised questions about CBI seeking more time, Divan justified more time saying that a part of manpower is committed to the ongoing day to day trial.

The top court had on February 7, 2019, transferred the trial in case to Delhi as it directed the trial court judge to hold day-to-day hearings and wrap it up in six months.

While transferring the trial to Delhi, the court had said that “No one can go unpunished but that is not the end of it.”

The court today was informed that the trial was progressing and taking place on day to day basis

The entire crime of the sexual abuse girls and inmates in the Muzzafarpur shelter home surfaced following a study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in May last year.