Muzaffarpur sex scandal: Lalu flays Nitish Kumar over SC order
What's the story
RJD national president Lalu Prasad has flayed his arch-rival and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over Supreme Court's order to transfer Muzaffarpur sex scandal to a POCSO court in Delhi. The apex court came down heavily on the Bihar government yesterday for its management of 16 shelter homes in the state, and focused specifically on the Muzaffarpur home. Here are more details.
Information
SC warns unsatisfactory response will force it to summon CS
The SC warned that unsatisfactory response of its queries will force it to summon the chief secretary (CS). A bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, directed the Bihar government to render all assistance in the smooth transfer of the Muzaffarpur case within two weeks.
Comment
Lalu is serving sentences in a number of fodder-scam cases
Lalu, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases and lodged in a Ranchi hospital for his ailments, came out with tweets offering his take on the embarrassment caused to the Bihar government. In the first such tweet, he said in the rustic dialect Bhojpuri "ka ho Nitish, kuchh sharm bachal ba ki naahi" (Nitish, are you left with any shame?).
Twitter Post
Lalu took to Twitter to take a jibe at Nitish
का हो नीतीश? कुछ शर्म बचल बा कि नाहींhttps://t.co/sl3JNoTDCX
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) February 7, 2019
Comment
Opposition leaders allege Kumar is silent on rape accused
While Lalu is in the hospital, his Twitter handle is being managed by people close to him. In another tweet, the RJD supremo came out with an acerbic one-liner "habitual protectors of rapists of Bihar will keep quiet. Chupppp". Kumar has been accused by Opposition leaders, especially Prasad's younger son Tejashwi Yadav, of keeping silent over allegations against the accused in the scandal.
Twitter Post
Habitual protectors of rapists of Bihar will keep quite: Lalu
Habitual protectors of rapists of Bihar will keep quite. Chupppp https://t.co/5EoDVo77TO
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) February 7, 2019
Arrests
Many including owner of NGO arrested in the scandal
The case had come to light last year when a report of social audit conducted by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences flagged sexual abuse of inmates at the Muzaffarpur shelter home. An FIR was lodged last May and a number of persons, including Brajesh Thakur, the owner of the NGO running the shelter home, were arrested in connection with the scandal.
Aftermath
Social welfare minister stepped down over husband's links with Thakur
The matter was handed over to the CBI in July. Shortly afterwards, state social welfare minister Manju Verma stepped down after media reported that her husband had close links with Thakur. Thakur has been shifted to a jail in Patiala following SC order even as other accused, including his close aides and some government officials, are lodged in jails at Patna and Muzaffarpur.
Information
Shelter homes' children were forced to dance on vulgar songs
Supreme court had recently directed the CBI to take over the probe into allegations of sexual abuse at all such shelter homes across the state. The children in these shelter homes were allegedly forced to dance on vulgar songs and were sedated and raped.