Six of seven girls who fled Mokama home found in Darbhanga

The police said the incident took place at around 2 am Saturday. Officials found a grill of the shelter home cut open, but doubted if girls could have escaped from such a narrow passage. The staffers are being questioned; the administrator of the home refrained from commenting.

Patna DM and SSP reached the shelter home on Saturday morning.

Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey told The Indian Express, “DM has gone to the spot. We have sounded an alert to all Government Railway Police stations to look out for the seven girls”.

A police officer blamed non-cooperation from the shelter home management, alleging that they worked in a secretive manner and added that at times, they would not allow even women representatives from the government to meet the girls.

The government had asked the shelter home management to run regular counselling sessions for the girls who had suffered trauma from the abuse.

The Muzaffarpur shelter home has been closed since last May. An investigation by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) revealed that several girls were sexually and physically abused at 17 shelter homes across Bihar.

After a case was filed on the basis of this report, 32 girls had told a Muzaffarpur POCSO court that they were sexually abused. The case is being investigated by the CBI.

In the Muzaffarpur case alone, which is being monitored by the Supreme Court, over a dozen persons including main accused Brajesh Thakur have been arrested.