Ten held after allegations of sexual exploitation at shelter home in Bihar
The day-long digging operation at the court yard of government run remand home for girls on Sahu Road at Muzaffarpur, 120 kms from here, concluded on Monday evening, but no remains of ‘missing’ inmate was found. Search will be resumed on Tuesday at another place in remand home premises.
Acting on the findings of the Mumbai based Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the state government had ordered an investigation into the abuse of girls in the remand homes in different parts of the state and last month, it was found that girls in Muzaffarpur remand home were exploited sexually.
Following the statements made by girls, the forensic science team started digging the earth in the courtyard of the home as a girl was allegedly tortured and later killed by the officials of the remand home.They had allegedly buried the girl there.
The girls had recorded their statements before a judicial magistrate at Patna alleging they were frquently exploited sexually and when one of them refused to oblige, she was killed and buried in the courtyard of the remand home.
The senior SP of Muzaffarpur, Harpreet Kaur, who was present at the site alongwith the magistrate, Sheela Rani, deputed by the district magistrate said the victim girls who were shifted to Mokamah remand home in Patna district were brought to Muzaffarpur on Monday on the directive of the court and in their presence, the operation to discover the girl’s body was going on.
She said that the police has got reports that six inmates of the remand home were missing or absconding. Their families are being contacted.
According to the SSP, in all, 44 girl inmates of the remand home managed by a private agency run by one Brajesh Thakur had complained of assault and sexual exploitation. They had alleged they were sent outside Muzaffarpur to the ‘clients’ of the management. The girls were sent to the Patna Medical College Hospital, where medical examinations confirmed rape on 16 girls, all minors.
Police have arrested ten people including owner of the NGO, social welfare officer of the district and seven other women.
The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha on Monday by RJD member, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav who demanded CBI probe into the working of the remand homes in Bihar.
He said that nine girls were missing from Bhagalpur remand home and one girl was murdered.
In Bihar Vidhan Parishad, RJD member, Subodh Kumar too demanded CBI probe alleging involvement of white collar criminals.
Deputy chief minister, Sushil Kumar Modi, assured fair investigation and said whosoever found involved in the exploitation of girls would face the law.