- (1.) We have gone through the Status Report Nos.1 and 2 filed by the CBI in the Patna High Court. The investigations seem to be on track at the moment.
(2.) However, on a perusal of the Status Reports, there are a few areas that need to be further looked into by the CBI. They are as follows: 1. It appears that the person In-charge of the NGO Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, Mr. Brajesh Thakur is a very influential person and people in the neighbourhood are scared of him and not able to make any complaint against him. In fact it has come out that people in the neighbourhood have heard screaming by the girls in the Shelter Home but they do not bring it to the notice of anybody because of the apparent terror of Mr. Brajesh Thakur. The CBI will need to look into the antecedents, connections and influence of Mr. Brajesh Thakur. 2. It has also come on record that the NGO of Mr. Brajesh Thakur, i.e., Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti has received about Rs.4.5 crores from the State of Bihar over a period of about ten years for its activities. During this period, it has also purchased 35 vehicles. The other assets of the NGO or Mr. Brajesh Thakur do not appear to be very clear. It is necessary, in our opinion, that the Income Tax Department should look into the income and assets of Mr. Brajesh Thakur and indeed of the NGO Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti. The CBI Team should request the Chief Commissioner/Commissioner having jurisdiction in the area to look into this matter and to investigate the affairs of the NGO and of Mr. Brajesh Thakur from the income tax angle. 3. It has also come on record that one Mr. Chandrashekhar Verma and his wife Manju Verma have been in possession of illegal ammunition of a fairly large quantity. It is not clear whether they were in possession of illegal arms as well. The status report mentions that an FIR has been lodged against Chandrashekhar Verma and Manju Verma. The affairs of these two need to be looked into, particularly with regard to their procurement and possession of illegal ammunition and availability of illegal weapons, if any. We request the local police in the State of Bihar to look into this aspect with some degree of seriousness. 4. The Status Report also mentions that some girls were transferred on 20th March, 2018 by the Social Welfare Department from the Shelter Home which is the subject matter of the present investigation by the CBI. It is not clear why these girls were transferred out, particularly when the Report given by TISS became known to the State Government some time in May, 2018.
(3.) The transfer seems to suggest that the Social Welfare Department of the Government of Bihar was aware of certain unsavoury activities in the Shelter Home and that may have been the reason for transfer of the victim girls.;