Muzaffarpur shelter-home case: Govt recommends CBI probe, to request HC to monitor it

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today recommended a CBI probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of girls at a state-funded shelter home in Muzaffarpur, an official release said.

Kumar's deputy Sushil Kumar Modi said the state government would request the Patna High Court to monitor the probe.

Opposition MLAs had paralysed the state Assembly for three days with their vociferous demands for a high court-monitored CBI probe into the scandal. They also demanded that the state Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma be sacked.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had told the Parliament that the Centre would consider if the state government recommended a CBI inquiry.

Recommending the CBI inquiry this morning, Kumar directed the chief secretary, the director general of police and the principal secretary (home) to immediately hand over the case to the central investigating agency, a government release said.

The decision to hand over the case to the CBI was taken to prevent rumour-mongering in the state, it said.

"A deplorable incident has taken place in Muzaffarpur, where the police have been carrying out a diligent investigation. Although the government was committed to conducting an impartial probe, the decision for handing over the probe to the CBI has been taken to dispel the 'bhram ka vatavaran' (environment of rumours/falsehood) that was being created," it said.

Sushil Modi said, "During the next hearing, the state government will itself request the high court to monitor the CBI inquiry into the matter."
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav lashed out at the government over the "rumour mongering" phrase, saying, "By blaming the opposition, the government has shown a lack of shame and remorse over what has happened. It has been trying to shield the culprits."