Girls Made To Dance To Vulgar Songs At Bihar Home, Raped By "Guests": CBI
Patna, Jan 07: Young girls were forced to dance to vulgar songs, sedated and raped at the government-run shelter in Bihar's Muzaffarpur being investigated by the CBI for a massive sex scandal with links to influential politicians and bureaucrats. Grisly details like this are revealed in a 73-page chargesheet filed by the investigating agency against the main accused, the politically well-connected Brajesh Thakur, who operated the shelter for several years.
Brajesh Thakur and 20 other accused - including the staff of the home - have been charged with serious crimes under the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act or POCSO Act. According to the chargesheet, teenage girls were forced to wear revealing clothes, dance to "Bhojpuri songs", drugged and made to lie down. They were raped in that state by "guests" of Brajesh Thakur, according to the CBI.
Girls who resisted were beaten and tortured, the CBI says.
The sexual exploitation of dozens of girls in the government-run shelter over a period of 10 years was revealed in a social audit report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences or TISS.
Medical tests found that as many as 34 of the 42 girls at the home were sexually assaulted. The four-storey home has now been razed.
Brajesh Thakur was said to be close to politicians in the ruling Janata Dal (United) government. The Supreme Court described Thakur as "a very influential man" and recommended shifting him to a jail outside the state to prevent any "obstruction to the ongoing probe".
The scandal had been seized by the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal, which has accused the Nitish Kumar government of backing Brajesh Thakur. Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma resigned after investigations revealed that her husband, Chandrashekhar Verma, had spoken to the main accused several times between January and June.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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West Asia conflict: Modi calls ministerial meeting to review energy situation
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting Sunday evening with senior ministers to review to take stock of petroleum, power, and fertiliser sectors in view of the evolving West Asia situation, sources have said.
The focus of the meeting is to ensure uninterrupted supply, stable logistics and efficient distribution across the country, and the government is taking proactive steps to this end, they said.
Continuous monitoring of global developments to protect consumer and industry interests is the key focus of the government, they said.
On March 12, Modi said that the war in West Asia has triggered a worldwide energy crisis, posing a critical test of national character that requires dealing with circumstances through peace, patience, and increased public awareness.
The prime minister emphasised that his government is working relentlessly to address disruptions that have emerged in international supply chains.
"Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain," Modi said.
The prime minister has spoken to many global leaders since the West Asia conflict started on February 28, with the US and Israel attacking Iran.
Iran has retaliated by attacking Israel and several of its Gulf neighbours.
Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which 20 per cent of the world's energy is transported. Since the conflict, very few ships have been allowed by Iran to cross it.
The blockade has resulted in severe disruptions in energy supply to many countries, including India.
Since the conflict, Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, France, Malaysia, Israel and Iran.
