Muzaffarpur home case: Brajesh Thakur jailed for life

New Delhi: A court on Tuesday sentenced NGO owner Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment for the remainder of his life in connection with the sexual and physical assault of several girls at his shelter home in Bihar`s Muzaffarpur district.

Additional Session Judge Saurabh Kulshrestha had on January 20 convicted 19 accused including Thakur and nine women in connection with the case.

Thakur, a former Bihar People`s Party legislator, was held guilty under Section 376 (rape), 376D (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code.

He was also found guilty under Section 6 and 17 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The court, however, acquitted one accused.

The case pertains to the allegations that several girl inmates of the shelter home were sexually assaulted. Thakur heads a state-funded NGO named Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti which ran the shelter home.

The matter came to light following an audit report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

Thakur was the prime accused in the case while others were employees of his shelter home and Bihar Social Welfare Department officials.

The case was transferred from Bihar Police to the CBI in July 2018.

The court had on March 20, 2019, framed charges against the accused of offences of criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault against minors.

The case was, however, transferred from a local court in Muzaffarpur to the POCSO court at Saket here last year on the Supreme Court`s directions.