A year after reports of sexual abuse of minor girls in a Bihar shelter home called Balikagrih came to light, the investigation has led the CBI to question the missing status of 11 girls who are likely to have been murdered.
The shelter home is owned and run by Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the investigation.
The 21 accused who were arrested on the grounds of sexual abuse have given the CBI 11 names of girls who were reportedly killed by Thakur. The rape survivors also claimed that the missing girls have been killed.
According to reports, the CBI discovered a bundle of buried bones which they claim is one of the murdered victims. However, since the investigation is still in process, no charge has been filed against the accused.
In an affidavit filed by the CBI, it’s mentioned
The victims during their examination in the presence of experts of Nimhans had revealed names of 11 girls who were allegedly murdered by Brajesh Thakur and his accomplices. These allegations are being duly investigated in the right earnest in the instant case by scrutinising the master register maintained at the Balikagrih to locate the bodies and through field-level verification as to the existence of the girls alleged to be murdered.
The CBI is allegedly also facing accusations from the public that they are intentionally trying to delay the investigation to protect powerful people. The agency has made a statement that they are still identifying the victims and these accusations are false.
In a petition filed by advocate Fauzia Shakil who is claiming foul play inside the Bureau has called their investigation “incomplete but ex facie also appeared to be hogwash”.
The accusations also include Shakil pointing out that no efforts are being made to charge the outsiders who used to visit the shelter and raped the victims. But the CBI is claiming that they are successfully identifying the perpetrators who carried out the sexual abuse and have filed charges against them.
The petition mentions that the victims claimed to have named one ‘Tondwale uncle netjai’ and another ‘Moochhwale uncleji’ who visited the shelter frequently but no efforts are being made to trace them.
The petitioner has also added,
It is evident from the statement of the victims that a large-scale prostitution racket was being run by Brajesh Thakur. From the perusal of the chargesheet, it is apparent that the CBI is trying to shield the real perpetrators and has intentionally avoided to investigate the leads given by the victims.
India ranks number 7th in the world for human trafficking.