Bihar shelter home case: Main accused, two others acquitted for want of evidence
Special judge Ajay Kumar Mall acquitted Thakur and his associates, Sahista Praveen alias Madhu, and Krishna Kumar, in the Swadhar Griha case as the prosecution failed to prove the charges
A special court in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur has acquitted Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the case related to the disappearance of 11 women from short-stay home Swadhar Griha his NGO Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti (SSEVS) ran for destitute. The NGO also ran Balika Griha, where 34 of 42 inmates were found to have been sexually abused in 2019.
Special judge Ajay Kumar Mall acquitted Thakur and his associates, Sahista Praveen alias Madhu, and Krishna Kumar, in the Swadhar Griha case on Thursday as the prosecution failed to prove the charges. The three were brought to the Muzaffarpur court from Delhi’s Tihar jail amid heavy security. They will continue to remain behind bars as they were sentenced to life in the Balika Griha case.
Special public prosecutor Jai Mangal Prasad said the prosecution produced seven witnesses and four investigation officers but could not produce strong evidence.
Men including Thakur and government officers in charge of the welfare of the inmates Balika Grih were accused of sexually abusing them. Tata Institute of Social Sciences audit of Bihar’s shelter homes singled out Balika Grih for “grave instances” of sexual violence. The inmates revealed chilling details in the court of being beaten up, confined, drugged and raped.
In late July 2019, the CBI took over the Balika Grih investigation. By then, the Bihar Police had arrested 10 of the 11 people named in the case, including Thakur, and seven women employees of the shelter home. Bihar’s social welfare department awarded Thakur’s NGO ₹40 lakh annually to run Balika Grih.
