God help you, never play with our order: SC summons former CBI chief M Nageswara Rao in Muzaffarpur shelter home case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday took serious note of violation of its order in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case by former interim CBI director M Nageswara Rao.

During his tenure as the interim chief, Rao and the incharge of Director Prosecution, had transferred A K Sharma, who was probing Bihar's shelter homes cases. 

“We are going to take it very very seriously. You have played with the order of Supreme Court of India. God help you. Never play with SCs order,” Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi told the CBI counsel.

Issuing a contempt notice to Rao, the top court asked him to appear before it on February 12. SC also directed the probe agency to give names of other officers who were part of the process in transferring Sharma. 

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court transferred the Muzaffarpur shelter home case to Delhi's Saket POSCO court.

Slamming the Bihar government for dragging its heels regarding details sought about shelter homes in the state, the apex court moved the Muzaffarpur shelter home case from Patna to Delhi and gave six months for the trial to be completed. It made clear that no further extension should be sought. 

"Enough is enough. We will ask Bihar Chief Secretary to appear before us. Get someone here who is conversed to what is happening in the state. You can’t let your officers to treat unfortunate children like this. Spare the children," CJI Ranjan Gogoi said while also asking CBI to explain why the probing officer was transferred despite its previous order not to transfer any officer.

The entire case pertains to alleged sexual exploitation of girls at the Muzaffarpur shelter home which first came to light in the report of a social audit conducted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, which was submitted to the state social welfare department in April of last year. More than 40 girls were lodged at the shelter home and medical reports suggest that over half of them may have been sexually exploited at some point of time.