Muzaffarpur rapes: Tejashwi accuses Nitish of sanctioning another tender to main accused

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday continued his tirade against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal.

Tejashwi questioned the chief minister that why did his government award the main accused, Brijesh Thakur with another project of a shelter home the same day an FIR was lodged against latter's NGO in connection with the case.

"Nitish Kumar sanctioned another tender for a short stay under 'Chief Minister Bhikshavatra Nirvana Yojna' to main accused in Muzaffarpur rapes case Brijesh Thakur, the same day police lodged an FIR against his NGO. What is this relationship called? #Muzaffarpur," Tejashwi tweeted.

According to reports, a Mumbai-based Social Sciences Institute, who revealed about the alleged sexual exploitation of inmates at the short stay home for girls in Muzaffarpur, submitted its report in April, and the Bihar social welfare department approved another project to Thakur on May 31 for beggars' shelter in Patna.

Earlier as well, Tejashwi Yadav had alleged that Thakur was using his political connections to press down on this case.

"I want to ask Nitish Kumar why the main accused Brijesh Thakur has not been arrested yet? I ask CM to make his call details public, Brijesh Thakur is using his political connections to press down on this case, we demand CBI probe," he said.

On a related note, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today took over the matter and registered a case against the officers and employees of the shelter home.

The probe agency took over the investigation from Muzaffarpur's Mahila Police Station where the case was registered on May 31, under Section 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 376 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 4, 6, 8,10,12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO).

The CBI registered the case on the request of the Bihar Government and following the notification of the Central Government.

On July 28, the police claimed that 34 of 40 girls, who were rescued from the state-funded shelter home, were raped or molested. 11 employees of the shelter home were also arrested in this regard.