A Delhi court Tuesday sentenced Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment till his last breath for sexually assaulting several girls in a shelter home in Bihar''s Muzaffarpur district, saying he was the "kingpin" of a "meticulously planned" conspiracy and "displayed extreme perversity".

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha also sent 11 others to jail for life in the case.The court sentenced Thakur to "rigorous imprisonment till the remainder of his life" and imposed a hefty fine of Rs 32.20 lakh on him.

Because of rising sexual crimes against children, such offenders should be dealt with an iron hand to send a strong message in the society to deter others from committing such ghastly crimes, the court said.

"It is writ large that this is not a case of a single solitary incident of rape, but a meticulously planned and ingeniously executed conspiracy wherein the care-givers, the supervisors and the administrators in a state-sponsored children's home themselves turned into predators, perpetrators of crime and abettors and repeatedly subjected numerous minor girls to atrocious acts of rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault over an extremely long period spanning about four years," it said.

The court further noted that Thakur was not a young boy charged with a solitary offence but a mature and experienced politician charged with a plethora of crimes and he was the kingpin of the entire conspiracy.

"Further a person who is the owner of or who manages or exercises control over the affairs of such a child care institution is expected to display compassion, sobriety and righteousness, but the convict not only betrayed the trust and faith of the victim girls but also displayed extreme perversity and monstrosity by committing such abhorrent acts with numerous helpless minor girls and therefore it is not a fit case for adopting the reformative and therapeutic approach," it said.

The court noted that victims were minor girls in a state-sponsored, state-monitored and state-funded children's home, meant for providing a safe and secure environment to those in need of care and protection, and they were subjected to such horrendous acts of rape and sexual assault in that very home.

"It is trite that such repeated acts of rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assaults are sufficient to cause considerable physical suffering, extreme inconvenience, severe mental agony and grave psychological damage to the victim girls as well as incalculable damage to their respect and reputation in the society," it said.

The court sentenced Dilip Verma, then Chairman of Child Welfare Committee; Child protection officer of District Child Protection Unit Ravi Roshan; member of Child Welfare Committee Vikas Kumar; Guddu Vijay; Kumar Tiwari; Guddu Patel; Kishan Kumar and Ramanuj Thakur to imprisonment for the remainder of life in the case.

It also sends three women — Minu Devi, Kiran Kumari and Shaista Praveen — to jail for life for abetment to rape.

The court sentenced Rama Shankar, Ashwani, Manju Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari and Hema Masih to 10 years in prison, and Indu Kumari to three years jail term.

The court imposed varying fines on the convicts. It also granted a compensation of Rs 5.50 lakh to three of the rape victims; Rs 6 lakh to one of the victims, Rs 9 lakh to another victim, Rs 40,000 each to two of the victims and Rs 25,000 to another victim.

The court on January 20 convicted Thakur, who once unsuccessfully contested assembly polls on Bihar People''s Party (BPP) ticket, of several offences including aggravated penetrative sexual assault under section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and offences of rape and gang rape under the Indian Penal code (IPC).

Additional Public Prosecutor Amit Jindal, appearing for the CBI, had earlier sought life imprisonment "till the remainder of life" for Thakur, saying "rape is a crime of lust and power" and leniency should not be shown to the convicts as the victims in the case were minors.

Advocates P K Dubey and Nishaank Mattoo, appearing for Thakur, had sought leniency on the ground that a chance be given for reformation and he is the sole bread earner of the family.

Advocate Dhiraj Kumar, appearing for some of the convicts, had said they will challenge the judgment in the higher court.

Former Bihar Social Welfare Minister and the then JD(U) leader Manju Verma also faced flak when allegations surfaced that the husband had links with Brajesh Thakur.

She resigned from her post on August 8, 2018. The case was transferred on February 7, 2019, from a local court in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to a POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi on the apex court''s directions.

The matter had come to light on May 26, 2018, after Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted a report to the Bihar government highlighting the alleged sexual abuse of girls in the shelter home for the first time.

A Delhi court Tuesday sentenced Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment till his last breath for sexually assaulting several girls in a shelter home in Bihar''s Muzaffarpur district, saying he was the "kingpin" of a "meticulously planned" conspiracy and "displayed extreme perversity".

A Delhi court Tuesday sentenced Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment till his last breath for sexually assaulting several girls in a shelter home in Bihar''s Muzaffarpur district, saying he was the "kingpin" of a "meticulously planned" conspiracy and "displayed extreme perversity". Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha also sent 11 others to jail for life in the case.The court sentenced Thakur to "rigorous imprisonment till the remainder of his life" and imposed a hefty fine of Rs 32.20 lakh on him. Because of rising sexual crimes against children, such offenders should be dealt with an iron hand to send a strong message in the society to deter others from committing such ghastly crimes, the court said. "It is writ large that this is not a case of a single solitary incident of rape, but a meticulously planned and ingeniously executed conspiracy wherein the care-givers, the supervisors and the administrators in a state-sponsored children's home themselves turned into predators, perpetrators of crime and abettors and repeatedly subjected numerous minor girls to atrocious acts of rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault over an extremely long period spanning about four years," it said. The court further noted that Thakur was not a young boy charged with a solitary offence but a mature and experienced politician charged with a plethora of crimes and he was the kingpin of the entire conspiracy. "Further a person who is the owner of or who manages or exercises control over the affairs of such a child care institution is expected to display compassion, sobriety and righteousness, but the convict not only betrayed the trust and faith of the victim girls but also displayed extreme perversity and monstrosity by committing such abhorrent acts with numerous helpless minor girls and therefore it is not a fit case for adopting the reformative and therapeutic approach," it said. The court noted that victims were minor girls in a state-sponsored, state-monitored and state-funded children's home, meant for providing a safe and secure environment to those in need of care and protection, and they were subjected to such horrendous acts of rape and sexual assault in that very home. "It is trite that such repeated acts of rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assaults are sufficient to cause considerable physical suffering, extreme inconvenience, severe mental agony and grave psychological damage to the victim girls as well as incalculable damage to their respect and reputation in the society," it said. The court sentenced Dilip Verma, then Chairman of Child Welfare Committee; Child protection officer of District Child Protection Unit Ravi Roshan; member of Child Welfare Committee Vikas Kumar; Guddu Vijay; Kumar Tiwari; Guddu Patel; Kishan Kumar and Ramanuj Thakur to imprisonment for the remainder of life in the case. It also sends three women — Minu Devi, Kiran Kumari and Shaista Praveen — to jail for life for abetment to rape. The court sentenced Rama Shankar, Ashwani, Manju Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari and Hema Masih to 10 years in prison, and Indu Kumari to three years jail term. The court imposed varying fines on the convicts. It also granted a compensation of Rs 5.50 lakh to three of the rape victims; Rs 6 lakh to one of the victims, Rs 9 lakh to another victim, Rs 40,000 each to two of the victims and Rs 25,000 to another victim. The court on January 20 convicted Thakur, who once unsuccessfully contested assembly polls on Bihar People''s Party (BPP) ticket, of several offences including aggravated penetrative sexual assault under section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and offences of rape and gang rape under the Indian Penal code (IPC). Additional Public Prosecutor Amit Jindal, appearing for the CBI, had earlier sought life imprisonment "till the remainder of life" for Thakur, saying "rape is a crime of lust and power" and leniency should not be shown to the convicts as the victims in the case were minors. Advocates P K Dubey and Nishaank Mattoo, appearing for Thakur, had sought leniency on the ground that a chance be given for reformation and he is the sole bread earner of the family. Advocate Dhiraj Kumar, appearing for some of the convicts, had said they will challenge the judgment in the higher court. Former Bihar Social Welfare Minister and the then JD(U) leader Manju Verma also faced flak when allegations surfaced that the husband had links with Brajesh Thakur. She resigned from her post on August 8, 2018. The case was transferred on February 7, 2019, from a local court in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to a POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi on the apex court''s directions. The matter had come to light on May 26, 2018, after Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted a report to the Bihar government highlighting the alleged sexual abuse of girls in the shelter home for the first time.

Muzaffarpur shelter home: Court sends Brajesh Thakur, 11 others to jail for life for sexual assault

A Delhi Court on Monday convicted 19 accused including NGO owner Brajesh Thakur in connection with the sexual and physical assault of girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. One accused acquitted, reported news agency ANI.

The court has listed the matter for argument on quantum of sentence on January 28, the report added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bihar's Muzaffarpur shelter home case: The court has listed the matter for argument on quantum of sentence on January 28 <a href="https://t.co/pVbhtj1vu6">https://t.co/pVbhtj1vu6</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1219185318370242563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Sexual exploitation of girls at the shelter home first came to light in the report of a social audit conducted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, which was submitted to the state social welfare department in April.

The FIR in the case was registered on May 31 against 11 people, including Thakur. On July 26, the Bihar government recommended a CBI inquiry in the matter.

Bihar social welfare department minister Manju Verma had to resign after links of her husband with the key accused Brajesh Thakur surfaced.

A Delhi Court on Monday convicted 19 accused including NGO owner Brajesh Thakur in connection with the sexual and physical assault of girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

A Delhi Court on Monday convicted 19 accused including NGO owner Brajesh Thakur in connection with the sexual and physical assault of girls at a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. One accused acquitted, reported news agency ANI. The court has listed the matter for argument on quantum of sentence on January 28, the report added. Bihar's Muzaffarpur shelter home case: The court has listed the matter for argument on quantum of sentence on January 28 https://t.co/pVbhtj1vu6 — ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2020 × Sexual exploitation of girls at the shelter home first came to light in the report of a social audit conducted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, which was submitted to the state social welfare department in April. The FIR in the case was registered on May 31 against 11 people, including Thakur. On July 26, the Bihar government recommended a CBI inquiry in the matter. Bihar social welfare department minister Manju Verma had to resign after links of her husband with the key accused Brajesh Thakur surfaced.

Muzaffarpur shelter home case: NGO owner Brajesh Thakur among 19 convicted

A court Monday extended the CBI remand of two close aides of Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, by three days.

Special judge R P Tiwari, hearing cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, extended the CBI remand of Madhu Kumari, who managed many of Thakur's NGOs, newspapers and other businesses, and Ashwini -- a quack attached to the shelter home as a "doctor".

The two were arrested two weeks ago and have been in the custody of the central probe agency since November 21.

Media reports have alleged that Ashwini used to administer injections&nbsp; 
laced with sedatives to the inmates of the home with the help of Madhu, after which the girls would be subjected to sexual abuse.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case,&nbsp;produced both Madhu and Ashwini in the POCSO court after the period of their remand expired Monday.

On the probe agency's request, the court extended their remand by three days.

The alleged sexual abuse of the inmates at the Balika Grih in the Sahu Road locality came to light following a social audit of Bihar's shelter homes by the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 persons, including Thakur, who was running the shelter home.

As the issue rocked the state legislature and Parliament, a CBI inquiry was recommended by the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government in July.

A fortnight later, state Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma stepped down following reports of close links between her husband Chandrashekhar Verma and Thakur.

Thakur, who was initially shifted to Bhagalpur in view of the fact that he was a "renowned citizen" and his presence in Muzaffarpur could come in the way of a fair probe, is currently lodged in a jail in Punjab's Patiala following a Supreme Court order.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A court Monday extended the CBI remand of two close aides of Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, by three days. Special judge R P Tiwari, hearing cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, extended the CBI remand of Madhu Kumari, who managed many of Thakur's NGOs, newspapers and other businesses, and Ashwini -- a quack attached to the shelter home as a "doctor".

A court Monday extended the CBI remand of two close aides of Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, by three days. Special judge R P Tiwari, hearing cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, extended the CBI remand of Madhu Kumari, who managed many of Thakur's NGOs, newspapers and other businesses, and Ashwini -- a quack attached to the shelter home as a "doctor". The two were arrested two weeks ago and have been in the custody of the central probe agency since November 21. Media reports have alleged that Ashwini used to administer injections laced with sedatives to the inmates of the home with the help of Madhu, after which the girls would be subjected to sexual abuse. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, produced both Madhu and Ashwini in the POCSO court after the period of their remand expired Monday. On the probe agency's request, the court extended their remand by three days. The alleged sexual abuse of the inmates at the Balika Grih in the Sahu Road locality came to light following a social audit of Bihar's shelter homes by the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 persons, including Thakur, who was running the shelter home. As the issue rocked the state legislature and Parliament, a CBI inquiry was recommended by the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government in July. A fortnight later, state Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma stepped down following reports of close links between her husband Chandrashekhar Verma and Thakur. Thakur, who was initially shifted to Bhagalpur in view of the fact that he was a "renowned citizen" and his presence in Muzaffarpur could come in the way of a fair probe, is currently lodged in a jail in Punjab's Patiala following a Supreme Court order.

Shelter home sex scandal: Court extends CBI remand of Brajesh Thakur's aides

The CBI has started excavating a grave in Bihar's Muzzafarpur, where, it is suspected, remains of some of the victims of minor girls' abuse case in a shelter home could be buried, officials said here Wednesday.

The agency said the excavation site is at Sikandarpur in Muzaffarpur district.

More details may be shared once the excavation is over, they said.&nbsp;

The grave is believed to be located in a burial ground where the agency team reached with an excavator and dug out some human remains, they said.

The agency is likely to carry out DNA tests, and other forensic examination to ascertain the identity of the remains, they said.

Some of the victims in the government-funded shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur's NGO Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti (SSEVS) have alleged that some of their fellow inmates were killed and buried after the&nbsp;rape, they said.

The local police had carried out digging at the location identified by the girls but could not find anything, they said.

The agency has questioned a close aide of Thakur after which it decided to carry out the excavation process, they said.&nbsp;

Besides Thakur, the agency had taken into custody Rosy Rani, assistant director in the social welfare department, staff members Guddu, Vijay and Santosh.&nbsp;

The agency has frozen 20 bank accounts of Thakur besides any kind of transaction of his movable and immovable properties have been barred, they said.

The Supreme Court had on September 20 vacated a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting on the probe into the shelter home case where several minor girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused over a period of time.

The incident came to light after a report from Tata Institute of Social Sciences alleged sexual abuse of about 34 girls at the shelter home following which an FIR was subsequently registered by the Bihar social welfare department and 10 people, including Thakur, were arrested.

Following a huge outcry, the Nitish Kumar government handed over the probe to the CBI.

His social welfare minister Manju Verma had to resign in August after it was disclosed that her husband had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June this year.

The CBI has started excavating a grave in Bihar's Muzzafarpur, where, it is suspected, remains of some of the victims of minor girls' abuse case in a shelter home could be buried, officials said here Wednesday.

The CBI has started excavating a grave in Bihar's Muzzafarpur, where, it is suspected, remains of some of the victims of minor girls' abuse case in a shelter home could be buried, officials said here Wednesday. The agency said the excavation site is at Sikandarpur in Muzaffarpur district. More details may be shared once the excavation is over, they said. The grave is believed to be located in a burial ground where the agency team reached with an excavator and dug out some human remains, they said. The agency is likely to carry out DNA tests, and other forensic examination to ascertain the identity of the remains, they said. Some of the victims in the government-funded shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur's NGO Seva Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti (SSEVS) have alleged that some of their fellow inmates were killed and buried after the rape, they said. The local police had carried out digging at the location identified by the girls but could not find anything, they said. The agency has questioned a close aide of Thakur after which it decided to carry out the excavation process, they said. Besides Thakur, the agency had taken into custody Rosy Rani, assistant director in the social welfare department, staff members Guddu, Vijay and Santosh. The agency has frozen 20 bank accounts of Thakur besides any kind of transaction of his movable and immovable properties have been barred, they said. The Supreme Court had on September 20 vacated a Patna High Court order restraining the media from reporting on the probe into the shelter home case where several minor girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused over a period of time. The incident came to light after a report from Tata Institute of Social Sciences alleged sexual abuse of about 34 girls at the shelter home following which an FIR was subsequently registered by the Bihar social welfare department and 10 people, including Thakur, were arrested. Following a huge outcry, the Nitish Kumar government handed over the probe to the CBI. His social welfare minister Manju Verma had to resign in August after it was disclosed that her husband had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June this year.

Muzzafarpur shelter home abuse case: CBI starts excavation of suspected burial ground

brajesh-thakur

Brajesh Thakur, News on Brajesh Thakur, stories on Brajesh Thakur, articles on Brajesh Thakur, Brajesh Thakur stories at Wion, Brajesh Thakur news, Brajesh Thakur latest news

brajesh thakur

Muzaffarpur shelter home: Court sends Brajesh Thakur, 11 others to jail for life for sexual assault

Muzaffarpur shelter home case: NGO owner Brajesh Thakur among 19 convicted

Shelter home sex scandal: Court extends CBI remand of Brajesh Thakur's aides

Muzzafarpur shelter home abuse case: CBI starts excavation of suspected burial ground