The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 30 October, ordered the transfer of Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, to a high-security jail in Punjab’s Patiala.
The decision was made to ensure a “free and fair” investigation in the case, the apex court said.
Questioning the Bihar government, the court also asked why former minister Manju Verma was still not arrested, The Indian Express reported.
Verma, the former social welfare minister, had to resign in August following reports which alleged that her husband had close links with Thakur.
“Just because she happens to be a cabinet minister doesn’t make her above the law. The whole thing is highly suspicious. Why has she not been arrested? It’s too much. Nobody is bothered about the law,” the court said, as per the report.
The apex court also asked the CBI to submit a list of officers who investigated the case until now by Wednesday.
What is the Case About?
A report by Mumbai-based social science institute TISS had revealed sexual abuse of the inmates at the Muzaffarpur shelter home, which led to an FIR, followed by arrests of 10 people.
Medical examination of 34 out of the 42 shelter home inmates had confirmed that they were sexually exploited.
Thakur, the owner of the shelter home run by NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, is the main accused in the case.
The TISS report has also pointed out ill-treatment of inmates at other such shelter homes for girls or boys in various districts and the Opposition has been criticising the government for lack of action in this regard.
Following this, a case was registered against Chandrashekhar Verma a few weeks after his wife’s resignation. It had come to light that he had allegedly spoken to Thakur several times between January and June this year. Chandrashekhar surrendered before a court in Bihar’s Begusarai on Monday, 29 October.
Seventeen people, including Thakur, have been arrested in the case so far.
What Did the TISS Report Say?
The audit conducted, from January to March, by TISS raised questions on the ways the government home was being run.
“The girl children’s home in Muzaffarpur run by Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti was both found by us to be running in a highly-questionable manner along with grave instances of violence that were reported by the residents. Several girls reported about violence and being abused sexually. This is very serious and needs to be further investigated promptly. Immediate legal procedure must be followed to inquire into the charges and corrective measures be taken.”Excerpt from the TISS audit
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