The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) probing the rape case in the ‘Balika Grih’ (Minor shelter home) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar has found five human skeletons, which is believed to be of one of the victims. The skeleton was found at a cremation ground in the Sikandarpur district area. The CBI team got the lead about the skeletons from the main accused Brajesh Thakur’s driver.
Muzaffarpur shelter home case: CBI has reached a cremation site in Sikandarpur for further investigation. Digging of the site underway. 5 human skeletons have been found in the digging. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/KBE341aCsR
— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2018
According to the NDTV, the incident that came to light a few months back revealed that at least 42 minor girls were sexually abused and one was allegedly killed and was later buried in the crematory.
On Wednesday after the main accused’s driver’s lead, the officials, along with the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, reached the cremation site in the afternoon. After the excavation process, the skeleton recovered was sent for further examination. Following the DNA reports for the identity of the remains, the investigating team will likely take Brajesh Thakur on the remand for further investigation.
Earlier, some girls who were residing in the government-funded shelter home that was run by Brajesh Thakur’s NGO Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti (SSEVS) had alleged that the main accused had raped the inmates, killed them and buried them. However, when the local police carried out their investigation in the area that was identified by the shelter-home girls, they were not able to find anything.
The case
The Pune’s Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) audit team in the Muzaffarpur shelter home had submitted a report to Bihar’s Social Welfare department. The report claimed that there were issues of sexual assault on the minor girls. After the report was forwarded to the Director of Bihar’s Social Welfare department on May 26, this year an investigation was initiated in the case.
An FIR was filed against the local journalist Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO for the destitute girls. The NGO, ‘Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti’ was funded by the government. Including the main accused, Brajesh, 11 others were also arrested in the case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Muzaffarpur. After the medical examination of the 42 girls living in the NGO, 34 were confirmed to be sexually exploited. At least 14 officials were suspended in the case who were involved in the case. The investigation agency has also frozen 20 bank accounts of accused Brajesh, Financial Express reported.
On September 20, the Supreme Court said that there cannot be a blanket ban on the media reporting in the shelter home probe. A bench of Justices vacated the August 23 order of the Patna High Court, which had earlier imposed a ban on the media reporting in the case.
