How the case unfolded

A Delhi court on Monday convicted 19 accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home abuse cases. A look at the chronology of the case:

2018

FEB: TISS files audit report highlighting incidents of sexual assault of minor girls at Muzaffarpur shelter home

MAY 26: TISS report forwarded to director of Bihar's Social Welfare department

MAY 29: Bihar government shifts girls to other protection homes

MAY 31: FIR lodged against 11 accused including Brajesh Thakur, SIT set up

JUNE 2: Thakur, seven others, arrested

JUNE 14: Bihar's Women and Child Development ministry seals Muzaffarpur shelter home, rescues 46 girls

JULY 23: Muzaffarpur police dig for girl’s body at shelter home

JULY 29: CBI takes over the case

AUG 1: Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik writes to Chief Justice of Patna High court, chief minister Nitish Kumar and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to monitor shelter homes across the state, suggests formation of fast-track courts for immediate disposal of sexual abuse cases

AUG 2: SC seeks responses from both central and Bihar govts

AUG 5: Malik suspends six Assistant Directors of State Welfare Department for negligence

OCT 4: Skeleton of girl found at shelter home, CBI tells SC NOV 28: SC directs CBI to probe 16 abuse cases

DEC 19: CBI files chargesheet against 21 accused 2019

FEB 7: SC orders transfer of case to POCSO court at Saket court

FEB 25: Trial starts

MARCH 30: Trial court frames charges against 21 accused

MAY 3: CBI tells SC the accused murdered 11 girls

SEPT 30: Trial court reserves

order 2020 JAN 8: No evidence of children's murder, CBI tells SC

JAN 20: Court convicts Thakur and 18 others, fixes Jan 28 for arguments on quantum of sentence