Advertisement

Updated March 23rd, 2022 at 12:51 IST

Muzaffarpur shelter case: SC tells Bihar govt to submit action taken report in two weeks

The SC granted a two-week period to the Bihar government to file an action taken report on action against erring officers in the Muzaffarpur shelter case.

Reported by: Ajay Sharma
SC
Image: PTI | Image:self
Advertisement

While hearing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of India granted a two-week period to the Bihar government to file an action taken report regarding action against erring officers.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana directed the government of Bihar not to file the report in the sealed cover when the counsel for the state of Bihar urged that they submit the action taken report in the sealed cover.

"Why the sealed cover?", the CJI questioned the counsel for the Bihar government. "We don't want the names of the girls, just tell us the names of the officials and the actions taken against them," CJI Ramana said. 

Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan for the CBI told the Supreme Court that the investigation had been completed and, with the permission of the court, some officers were repatriated to their parent cadre.

"We are seeking to disband the original investigation team," ASG Divan said. "Charge sheets have been filed in all the cases. 19 were convicted in the main case," he added.

The Supreme Court ordered the Government of Bihar to file an action-taken report in two weeks.

The SC was hearing a long-pending petition filed by Nivedita Jha seeking a court-monitored probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter homes case. Advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for Jha on Wednesday, urged the apex court for an action taken report, claiming that the Bihar government has not taken any action.

Muzaffarpur Shelter Case

Earlier, the CBI had said that evidence of "gross negligence" was found on part of public servants and NGOs running the shelter homes in several cases, and reports have been sent to the Bihar government for taking departmental action against erring government officials and also for cancellation of registration of NGOs and blacklisting them and their office bearers.

The top court had in November 2018 asked the CBI to probe into the allegations of physical and sexual abuse in the remaining 16 shelter homes in Bihar which were flagged in a report of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The issue had cropped up before the apex court which was hearing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case where several girls were sexually abused. Later, 19 people were convicted by a trial court in connection with the case.

TISS researcher while surveying the shelter homes in 2018 in Bihar found complaints of harassment and sexual abuse at 15 of these shelter homes. The team completed the report in February 2018 and submitted it to the state government in April 2018. Some of the parts of the report got leaked and then the matter was taken seriously by the social welfare department, and a first FIR was filed at the Mahila police station under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012, against Brajesh Thakur, a Muzaffarpur shelter home in-charge and local journalist, and 11 others.

Supreme Court took cognizance of the case and ordered a CBI probe. It also ordered cases to be transferred from Bihar to POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi. The Court sentenced Thakur and 11 others to life imprisonment in 2020.

Advertisement

Published March 23rd, 2022 at 12:51 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo