CBI to SC: Probing murder of 11 girls in Muzaffarpur shelter home case

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) In a twist in Bihar's Muzaffarpur shelter home case, the CBI informed the Supreme Court on Friday it is probing accused Brajesh Thakur in the murder of eleven girls. The CBI has recovered a bundle of bones from an alleged burial ground.

Thakur is already an accused in rape and sexual abuse of children in his shelter home in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. The CBI has been facing severe criticism for the delay in charging the accused persons with murder.

The CBI, in its affidavit, told the court that it had made a headway into the alleged murders from a child rescued from the shelter home.

"During investigations, from the statement of victims recorded by investigation officers (IOs) and NIMHANS team, names of 11 girls emerged, who were said to be allegedly murdered by the accused Brajesh Thakur and his accomplices, said the CBI in affidavit.

"On scrutiny of details of these 11 girls, it was revealed that there were a total of 35 girls with identical/similar names who were at one time or the other stayed at the Balika Grih (girls' home), Muzaffarpur".

The CBI told the apex court: "The physical existence of these girls and their location were verified and duly reported to the apex court in a status report."

One accused, Guddu Patel, led CBI to a "particular spot in a burial grounda...a bundle of bones was recovered after excavation," the CBI told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

The CBI said: "The alleged murder had cropped up during the examination of victims by the IOs. The Master Register maintained at Balika Grih is being scrutinized to locate the dead body, conduct field-level verification as to existence of the girls alleged to be murdered."

Stating that the investigation is in progress, the agency denied the accusations that allegations of murder have not been looked into.

The CBI told the apex court that it will soon file a supplementary chargesheet.

Advocate Shoeb Alam, representing Nivedita Jha, in an application in a writ petition filed in the court accused the CBI of avoiding crucial leads to shield the perpetrators.

In its defence, the CBI said: "Persons named by the victims even by way of gestures have been identified and chargesheeted to face process of law. No person has been left out who was named or identified by the victims."

The agency said all the accused who were chargesheeted by the local police have been chargesheeted by it.

The agency said the trial court has already framed charges against 20 accused for offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act.

The court will further hear the case on May 6.