Mokama shelter home: ‘Girls were made to flee, include witnesses, victims of Muzaffarpur shelter home case’

Four of them were victims and witnesses of the sensational Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, the trial in which began in a POCSO court at Saket in New Delhi.

Bihar’s director general of police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey on Monday said that the ”girls had not escaped but they were made to flee” from the shelter home in Mokama on Saturday.

Police with sniffer dog investigating at Mokama shelter home from where seven minor girls, who were witnesses in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, disappeared from home in Mokama Bihar (AP Dube/HT)

He was referring to the “escape” of seven girls from the shelter home run by Nazareth Hospital Society at Mokama.

Four of them were victims and witnesses of the sensational Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, the trial in which began in a POCSO court at Saket in New Delhi.

“The theory that the girls had cut open their rest room window’s frame to escape doesn’t seem to be true. There is something fishy. According to the findings of our officials, the girls had not escaped, but they were made to flee from the main gate,” Pandey told media persons in Patna.

The Muzaffarpur shelter home case, which is being probed by the CBI and monitored by the Supreme Court.

All the 20 arrested accused, including the alleged mastermind Brajesh Thakur, currently lodged in Patiala Jail, have been produced in three different dates before the court.

The 34 witnesses in the case, all of them former inmates of the Muzaffarpur shelter home and currently accommodated in three different shelter homes of Bihar, would have to travel to Delhi to depose against the accused.

Till their statements are recorded in the court, the state government has a daunting task of keeping them safe and protected.

One of them had disappeared from a Madhubani shelter home a few days ago.

The DGP said a team led by IG (Patna zone) Sunil Kumar had been asked to conduct a thorough probe into the Mokama incident. The report was submitted on Monday. “I have neither met the officials nor have I seen the complete report, but on the basis my discussion with them, we have concluded that the girl’s escape was stage-managed. We will submit the report to the social welfare department. It would be their responsibility to take whatever action they deem fit.”

IG Sunil Kumar also said the girls had not escaped but were made to flee from the main gate. “We have certain evidence, which we will tell to the court.”

Officials said that the six girls who were traced the same day, on Saturday evening, were unwilling to share anything with the police. “Accompanied the child welfare committee (CWC) officials, the girls first underwent medical tests before being sent back to the Mokama shelter home,” an official said.

Patna’s senior SP Garima Mallik said, “If the investigating officer deems it important, he may request the court to record the girls’ statement. The CWC members have been asked to counsel the girls to cooperate in the investigation.”

Muzaffarpur shelter home accused

•Prime accused Brajesh Kumar Thakur. He was founder of the NGO, Seva Sankalp Evam Vikash Samiti (SSEVS) that ran the shelter home, currently lodged in Patiala Jail, Punjab. He also ran three newspapers- Pratah Kamal (Hindi), Halaat-e-Bihar (Urdu) and News Next (English)

•Former assistant director of child welfare committee (CWC) Rosy Rani.

•Child protection officer, Ravi Kumar Raushan.

•Superintendent of shelter home, Indu Kumari.

•House mother, Minu Devi

•Hema Mashih, member, SSEVS.

•Helpers Kiran Kumari, Manju Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari, Vikash Kumar, Vijay Kumar Tiwari and Guddu Kumar Patel.

•Brajesh Thakur’s key associate in his crime, Sahista Praveen @ Madhu. She also ran the Urdu daily he printed.

•Dr Ashawini alias Aasmani, doctor who injected and sedated the girls before they were abused.

• Ramashankar Singh alias Master Ji, in-charge of the printing press.

•Then CVC chairperson Dilip Kumar Verma.

•Vikky, SSEVS member.

•Krishna Kumar Ram alias Kishan and Ramanuj Thakur alias Mamu, members of the printing press.

•Dr Promila evading arrest