Brijesh Thakur and others acquitted in Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case

Patna (The Uttam Hindu): In a significant development related to the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case the district court of Muzaffarpur acquitted all three remaining accused due to a lack of sufficient evidence. The ruling was delivered on January 2 by Judge Ajay Kumar Mall who concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish a strong case against the defendants. The acquitted individuals are Brijesh Thakur Shaista Parveen (alias Madhu) and Krishna who were brought before the Special SC/ST Court under heavy police security. Following the verdict they were returned to Tihar Jail in Delhi. The case dates back to 2018 and involved serious allegations of abuse and exploitation at a girls' shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar which was managed by Brijesh Thakur.

The shelter home came under scrutiny after reports surfaced regarding the abuse of its residents. Initially four individuals were charged in the case but one of the accused Ramanuj Thakur passed away during the proceedings leaving the remaining three to stand trial. The Muzaffarpur shelter home case attracted widespread public attention highlighting the systemic issues in the management of shelter homes across the country. Allegations included the disappearance of 11 women and four children from the facility in 2018. Shaista Parveen’s lawyer, Annu Babu stated that after reviewing the evidence the court found it insufficient to convict the accused. Public Prosecutor Jai Mangal Prasad pointed to flaws in the police investigation which he believes undermined the prosecution's case leading to the acquittal of all three accused.