Who is giving money to you? Supreme Court questions Bihar govt on Muzaffarpur shelter home case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday raised questions over who is funding shelter homes in Bihar. The apex court was hearing the case into alleged rapes at shelter home in Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The SC pulls up Bihar government for funding the NGO running Muzaffarpur shelter home where girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused. 

The apex court also asked print, electronic and social media not to publish or display photos of victims of sexual abuse in any case. It said that if interviewed, the minor victims of sexual abuse will have a serious mental impact.

The SC had earlier on August 2 issued notices to the Bihar government and the Centre in connection with the case. The court had taken suo motu cognisance of the case and sought an explanation from the Bihar government and the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry asking how no action was taken to stop minor girls from being raped in shelters home.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had on Monday blamed the long-standing "flaw in the system" of such shelter homes being run by NGOs in the entire country for such cases. He had announced his decision to phase out this practice in Bihar and said the state government would take over administration of all such centres over a period of time.

Meanwhile, the Patna High Court had on Monday accepted the Bihar government's request to monitor the CBI investigation into the case and ensure a speedy trial by appointing a special judge. The HC bench directed the CBI to submit details of the investigations done so far.

Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the centre run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of the state-funded NGO. The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the state's social welfare department in April.

An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Thakur on May 31. In all, sexual abuse of 34 inmates out of 42 was confirmed in their medical examination, while two others who were unwell were yet to undergo medical tests. Women staff members of the shelter home and Thakur were among those who were arrested by the local police in connection with the case. 

The TISS audit report stated that many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. A special investigation team was formed to probe the complaints. The NGO running the shelter home in Muzaffarpur was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.