Muzaffarpur shelter home case: SC seeks report from Bihar govt on actions against officials

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Bihar government to file an action taken report with regard to disciplinary proceedings undertaken against the officials, following a CBI report on the sexual exploitations of young girls in shelter homes at Muzaffarpur and other places.

Advocate Shoeb Alam, representing the petitioner, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana that the CBI had recommended action against certain officers and there is no clarity, on whether any action has been taken so far.

"I am only asking for an action taken report. The government has yet not taken action," he claimed.

The bench, also comprising Justice Krishna Murari, asked the state counsel to file a report within two weeks.

The court was hearing an application filed by Bihar-based journalist Nivedita Jha, challenging the blanket ban imposed by the Patna High Court on media reporting of the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.

The Bihar government counsel submitted that conviction has happened in the main matter and now appeal was pending before the Delhi High Court. The counsel also informed the top court that action has been taken against the officers concerned.

Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan, representing the CBI, submitted that investigation is complete in the matter and some officers were to be repatriated to parent cadre, after taking court's permission.

She said the officers should be relieved as there is no investigation that is pending and the trial has taken place in the main case.

Amicus curiae Aparna Bhatt said since the appeal is still pending and records of the case are voluminous, some CBI officers should be directed to assist the prosecution.

After hearing arguments in the matter, the bench said, "State is directed to file an action taken report. It is open to CBI to take assistance from counsels who appeared before trial court".

The trial in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case was shifted to Delhi by the top court after a report was brought out by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) alleging repeated sexual assault of girls lodged over there.

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