SC terms Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes 'scary'

The Supreme Court on Thursday described as “horrible”, "scary" and “terrible” the details placed before it by the CBI on the Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes and sexual abuse of several girls.

The apex court perused the status report filed by the CBI and said that "shocking" details have emerged, including the fact that the girls were being sedated.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Madan B Lokur directed the CBI and the Bihar government to explain the delay in tracing former state minister Manju Verma's husband, Chandrashekhar Verma.

The top court had last month asked Bihar Police to probe the alleged recovery of a large quantity of ammunition from the former minister and her husband.

Manju Verma had resigned as Social Welfare Minister following the expose. It had come to light that her husband had allegedly spoken to Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the case, several times between January and June this year.

Shift main accused

On Thursday, the court noted Thakur was an influential person and according to CBI, he was found in possession of a mobile phone inside the jail. When senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Bihar government, said he has been shifted to Bhagalpur jail, the court said, prima facie it appeared it might not be appropriate to keep him in a jail in Bihar.

It issued him notice as to why he should not be shifted outside Bihar jail and put the matter for hearing on October 30. The court also sought to know why the four-storey shelter home should not be demolished as it had soundproof rooms to ensure the shrieks of the victims was not heard outside.