New Delhi: Five people accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case on Thursday denied allegations levelled against them by CBI before a Delhi court and said there was not enough evidence to prosecute them. According to a lawyer associated with the case, the accused made the submission before Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha who was hearing arguments for framing of charges against them.
They told the court that the CBI’s allegations against them were false and there was no evidence to substantiate them, advocate Shivika Singh said. Other accused in the case too had denied allegations against them previously. On Feb 7, the Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer the case from Bihar to a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Saket District Court complex in Delhi, which would conclude the trial within six months by holding preferably day-to-day hearing.
Several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at an NGO-run shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The issue had come to light following a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). In light of the report, an FIR was filed on May 31, 2018 against 11 people. The apex court had said the TISS report raised grave concern about 17 shelter homes in Bihar and the CBI must look into all of them. Of these, the Muzaffarpur case was already being looked into by the CBI.
So far, 17 people have been arrested. The amicus curiae assisting the court in the case had told it there were 1,028 shelter homes across India where instances of sexual and physical abuse have been reported.
