Bihar government suspends 6 officials in Muzaffarpur sex scandal case

Muzaffarpur: In the latest development in the Muzaffarpur sex scandal case at a state-funded shelter home, six officials of Bihar's social welfare department have been suspended on Sunday. Came to light, have been placed under suspension on account of 'negligence and dereliction of duty'.

Notifications to this effect were issued late on Saturday night. The officials put under suspension were posted as assistant directors of Child Protection Units in Muzaffarpur, Munger, Araria, Madhubani, Bhagalpur and Bhojpur districts.

All the officials, suspended with immediate effect, have been charged with 'failure to take adequate legal action' with regard to 'assault, indecent behaviour and other undesirable activities' at shelter homes within their respective areas of jurisdiction.

The alleged sex scandal surfaced in a social audit conducted by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Following this, FIR was lodged by the state social welfare department in June, which led to the arrest of 10 people.

More than 40 girls had been lodged at the shelter home and medical reports suggest that over half of them may have had sexual intercourse at some point of time.

Following a request by the Bihar government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took up the matter. The case has been registered against the officers and employees of Balika Grih in Muzaffarpur under section 120(B), 376, 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4, 6, 8,10,12 of POCSO.

The NGO running the shelter home has been blacklisted and all the girls have been moved to shelter homes in other districts while the premises has been sealed.

The suspension orders also pointed out that TISS had flagged anomalies, which the officials 'did not bring to the notice of higher officials in inspection reports'.

The six officials were directed at a state-level meeting in May to take necessary action in the light of the audit report's findings, but their failure to do so resulted in lack of timely action against the guilty, which has caused 'an embarrassment to the department and the government', the suspension orders added.

(With inputs from PTI)