Muzaffarpur horror accused to be sent to Patiala prison

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday directed the shifting of Brajesh Thakur − the main accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case − to Patiala prison from Bihar’s Bhagalpur jail.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur ordered Thakur’s shifting to the high security prison in Punjab, despite the defence counsel suggesting Delhi.

“No, no, Delhi is already polluted (overcrowded),” Justice Lokur said.

The court also expressed its displeasure over the police not arresting another accused and former cabinet Minister Manju Verma who was in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government.

“Her bail was rejected on Oct.9. Why have you not arrested her... because she was a cabinet minister. No body could trace her. Why was she not arrested,” Justice Lokur asked, brushing aside all explanations by senior counsel Ranjit Kumar appearing for the state.

Pointing to the depravity of the crime where 34 of the 41 minors housed in a short stay home were conirmed to have been raped, Justice Lokur said: “These girls were injected with drugs” and a “person is allowed to construct a four-storeyed building without windows.”

Describing what all has happened as “indefensible,” senior counsel Kumar said that the authorities are looking into how the building was constructed, who sanctioned the plan and why it should not be demolished.”

At least 34 girl inmates of the shelter home were found to have been raped during a social audit in June.