Muzaffarpur rape case: DCW chief writes to Bihar CM

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Jaihind on Saturday in a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked about steps taken by the state government for the rehabilitation of the victims in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.

On July 24, 11 employees of the girls shelter home in Muzaffarpur were arrested for allegedly sexually harassing the girls. On receiving information, the police raided the vicinity and rescued 44 girls.

In a two-page letter, the DCW chief demanded immediate action on the accused in the case which surfaced in an audit report of the Mumbai based Tata Institute of Social Sciences in April.

"The late reaction of the government and laxity showed in the case has worsened the situation. The prime accused and owner of the shelter home, Brajesh Thakur's reaction on being arrested has become a proof that he had political connections and would be spared easily," said Jaihind in the letter.

Hitting out at the state government, Jaihind questioned about the lackadaisical approach of the government. She wondered why no action had been taken even after knowing about the case during the past three-four months.

The DCW chief said, "Sir, you have no daughter but had one among these 34 girls been yours, would you have been quiet all this while? You have lost respect of scores of women and girls by not taking action in the case. Even after knowing that 34 girls were continuously raped again and again and many buried in the shelter home, you have been quiet on the issue," the letter further read.

The District Magistrate (DM) of Muzaffarpur on Friday suspended the weapon license of the prime accused in the case Brajesh Thakur and also ordered him to surrender his weapons within 48 hours.

On August 1, the state police raided another shelter home run by Thakur after a case was registered against him over the disappearance of 11 girls from there.