Patna, Jan 2 In a significant development in connection with alleged incidents of sexual assault in the Muzaffarpur girls' shelter home, the district court of Muzaffarpur acquitted all three remaining accused on Thursday.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday in the court of Ajay Kumar Mall, who ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused.
The acquitted individuals include Brijesh Thakur, Shaista Parveen (alias Madhu), and Krishna. They were produced before the Special SC/ST Court under heavy police security for the court ruling.
Following the court's decision, they were sent back to Tihar Jail in Delhi.
The case, which dates back to 2018, involved allegations of abuse and exploitation at a girls' shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.
The shelter home, managed by Brijesh Thakur, came under scrutiny following reports of serious misconduct and abuse of its residents.
Initially, four individuals faced the charges in the case. However, one of the accused, Ramanuj Thakur, died during the proceedings, leaving three defendants to stand trial.
The court had originally scheduled the decision for January 2, 2025.
The Muzaffarpur shelter home case had drawn widespread attention and outrage, highlighting systemic issues in the management and oversight of shelter homes across the country.
In the Balika Grih case, the allegations of the disappearance of 11 women and their four children from the Muzaffarpur shelter home in 2018.
Among those acquitted are Brajesh Thakur, Shaista Parveen (alias Madhu), and Krishna, all of whom were earlier serving life sentences in Tihar Jail in this case.
Shaista Parveen's advocate, Annu Babu, said that the court, after thoroughly reviewing the evidence presented, found it inadequate to support the charges against the accused.
Public Prosecutor Jai Mangal Prasad attributed the acquittal to flaws in the police investigation.
"The improper handling of the case by the investigative authorities undermined the prosecution's ability to present a strong case in court. As a result, the court has acquitted all three accused," Prasad said.
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