Delhi court adjourns arguments on sentencing in Muzaffarpur shelter home case

A Delhi court, which was scheduled to hear the argument over the quantum of the sentence in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case on Tuesday, adjourned the matter as the judge concerned was on a leave.

Additional Session Judge Saurabh Kulshrestha had on January 20 convicted 19 accused, including NGO owner and former MLA Brajesh Thakur and nine women, in connection with the sexual and physical assault of over 40 girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Former MLA Brajesh Thakur, who was the owner of the NGO called Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, was convicted under charges of gang-rape, rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

The court also convicted seven other men under various charges dealing with rape and criminal conspiracy, while two others were convicted under charges dealing with criminal conspiracy and abetment but were acquitted of rape charges.

Eight of the women were convicted under charges of dealing with criminal conspiracy and one other was convicted under the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act.

The Supreme Court had transferred the case from Bihar to a Delhi court and ordered the judge to complete it within six months, following which the trial court framed charges against 20 accused in the case.

The incident had come to light in the year 2018 after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) filed an affidavit detailing horrifying sexual abuse cases at the shelter homes.