Decision on reuniting victims of Muzaffarpur shelter home today

As many as 44 minor girls had been sexually abused at the shelter home over a period of time and the issue first came to light following an audit by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) report in May last year.

The Supreme Court will on Thursday pass orders on the issue of reuniting victims of Bihar’s Muzaffarpur shelter home with their families.

Taking cognisance of a report filed by TISS, a Supreme Court bench had asked the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Bihar government to file their response by Thursday.(HT FILE)

As many as 44 minor girls had been sexually abused at the shelter home over a period of time and the issue first came to light following an audit by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) report in May last year.

Taking cognisance of a report filed by TISS, a Supreme Court bench had asked the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Bihar government to file their response by Thursday. The top court had in July directed TISS to prepare a rehabilitation plan for the victims. TISS was told to interact with the families of the victims and ascertain whether they can be reunited. The field work would be carried out under TISS’s project called “Koshish”.

The permission was granted to TISS after the state informed the court that the victims, at present lodged in different child-care institutions, have started showing aggressive behaviour, with some indulging in inflicting self-harm. The SC order came on Bihar’s application requesting the court’s permission to hand over the custody of 44 children to their families. The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested 21 suspects, including the kingpin Brajesh Thakur, in connection with the case.