NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the CBI to investigate the allegations of physical and sexual abuse of inmates at 16 shelter homes in Bihar. A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur transferred the investigation being conducted by Bihar Police to the CBI, and dismissed the state government’s request not to do so.
The CBI is already investigating the Muzaffarpur case as per apex court orders. The apex court slammed the Nitish Kumar government in the presence of the Bihar Chief Secretary for “not doing its job properly.” In May, a report filed by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) had raised grave concerns over physical, sexual and mental assault against children in the various NGO-run shelter homes in Bihar.
The apex court also said that CBI officers probing the shelter home cases in Bihar will not be transferred without its prior permission. The CBI, however, seemed reluctant initially to take up the investigation into the 17 shelter homes.
