Superintendent of Patna shelter home held over allegations of sexual abuse

An SIT has been constituted to look into complaints

Inmates of yet another shelter home in Bihar have alleged sexual abuse, leading to the arrest of the State-run care home’s in-charge here, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

The superintendent of Gaighat shelter home, following his arrest on Saturday, was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

“An SIT has been constituted to look into complaints of physical abuse. In statements recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC, three girls complained of sexual abuse. A few more said they were often beaten up by the superintendent,” Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna, told PTI.

He, however, added that most of the inmates gave statements that were “very vague and gave little clue of involvement of any other people”.

“Nonetheless, we are trying to probe deeper with the help of whatever information we have,” the SSP said.

Notably, the State had been in news for the infamous Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal, which came to light in a social audit conducted by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

A huge outcry had ensued, causing the Nitish Kumar government to order a CBI inquiry, the then Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma to resign and the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to make a statement in Parliament.

Trial in the case was finally shifted to Delhi and Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused, was awarded life sentence by the court.