Muzaffarpur shelter home: SC orders medical examination of Brajesh Thakur

The Supreme Court has ordered an immediate medical examination of prime accused Brajesh Kumar Thakur lodged in Patiala Jail in Punjab in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case.

The court ordered submission of his medical report by Monday. The court's directive came after Thakur's children approached the top court alleging in a letter that their father was being tortured, physically and mentally in jail, by the Superintendent purportedly for money.

The three-judge bench, comprising Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Hemant Gupta, in its order said: "Keeping in view the allegations made in the letter, we direct the Superintendent of the Central Jail, Patiala to produce Brajesh Kumar Thakur before the Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala at 4.00 pm today. We also direct that the Chief Judicial Magistrate or any other Judicial Magistrate authorised by him should be present in the Hospital at 4.00 pm."

The bench further directed, "The Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala shall constitute a medical board who shall examine Brajesh Kumar Thakur and submit a report to this Court by Monday, 10th December 2018."

"The Secretary-General is directed to convey these orders to the Superintendent of the Central Jail, Patiala, the Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital and to the Sessions Judge, Patiala for onward transmission of this order to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Patiala immediately," said the bench.

In the Muzaffarpur case, over 40 minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted over a period of time in the shelter home which was run by Thakur's state-funded non-governmental organisation (NGO). Thakur is allegedly the mastermind of the incidents.

Earlier this year, Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) had uncovered the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal in Bihar.

As many as 11 employees including Thakur were arrested.