Nitish finally breaks his silence, says Bihar shelter home case 'has left us with sense of shame'

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday broke his silence on Bihar shelter home case, reported news agency PTI.

In his first reaction since the scandal broke last month, the CM alsostressed on the need to develop institutional mechanisms to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Speaking at the launch of 'Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana', a scheme for welfare of girls, in Patna, Kumar said the alleged sex abuse of girls at the shelter home "has left us with a sense of shame and guilt".

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"We have always said that the guilty would not be spared and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has said on the floor of the assembly that we would ourselves like the CBI probe to be monitored by the High Court," he said.

The chief minister said he has asked the state chief secretary to develop institutional mechanisms in consultation with the departments concerned to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Kumar came under severe criticism from the opposition party RJD and several other parties after the scandal broke out more than a month ago.

Earlier, Kumar ordered chief secretary, principal home secretary and DGP to hand over the investigation of the case to Central Bureau of Investigation.

Medical reports have suggested that more than half of the 40 girls, lodged at Muzaffarpur shelter home, may have had sexual intercourse at some point of time, police had said earlier. The inmates of the shelter home have also alleged that one of their fellow inmates was beaten to death and buried at the premises of the facility, while several others were raped.

Following the allegations, the Bihar Police has launched a probe and dug up the ground at the shelter home.