Accused not tortured, says medical report

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said there was “absolutely nothing” in the medical examination report to suggest that Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, was physically or mentally tortured in Patiala jail, rejecting the allegations levelled by his sons.

Thakur was moved from Bihar’s Bhagalpur jail to Patiala high-security jail in Punjab pursuant to a top court’s order on October 30, which was issued after it was told that the accused was found violating jail rules.

The court had ordered Thakur’s medical examination after his sons wrote a letter to it, levelling the charges.

A bench of justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta rejected the charges made by Thakur’s sons and told senior advocate Vikas Singh representing the accused that there was “absolutely nothing” in the medical examination report to suggest that Brajesh Thakur was physically or mentally tortured. The court also refused to issue any order clarifying that a local tribunal in Muzaffarpur can hear Thakur’s appeal against the demolition notice issued to him by the local civic agency, warning him to pull down the building where the shelter home existed.

Singh said the tribunal there was not taking up the case on the ground the notice followed SC order directing the civic agency to take action against the alleged “illegal building.”

An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 people, including Thakur, who was running the shelter home after a survey by Tata Institute of Social Sciences highlighted abuse of over 30 girls living there. The report was submitted to Bihar’s social welfare department. The probe was later taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation and so far 17 people have been arrested.