The Supreme Court Thursday ordered urgent medical examination of Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, after his children claimed he was being "tortured physically and mentally" at Patiala central jail.
Thakur was shifted to Patiala high-security jail in Punjab from Bihar's Bhagalpur jail following the apex court's October 30 order.
Over 30 girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at the Muzaffarpur shelter home. The issue was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to Bihar's social welfare department.
An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 people, including Thakur, who was running the shelter home. Later, the probe was taken over by the CBI and so far 17 people have been arrested in the case.
On Thursday, the matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur by senior advocate Vikas Singh.
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Singh placed before the bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta, a December 6 letter "purportedly written" by two children of Thakur.
"In this letter, it is alleged that Brajesh Kumar Thakur is being tortured physically and mentally in the said jail (at Patiala)," the bench noted in its order.
"Keeping in view the allegations made in the letter, we direct the superintendent of the central jail, Patiala, to produce Brajesh Kumar Thakur before the medical superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala at 4 PM today," the bench said.
It also directed that the chief judicial magistrate or any other judicial magistrate authorised by him should be present in hospital at 4 PM and the medical superintendent would constitute a medical board to examine Thakur.
The bench said that report of the medical board be placed before it by December 10, the next date of hearing.
"The secretary general (of Supreme Court) is directed to convey these orders to the superintendent of the central jail, Patiala, the medical superintendent, Rajindra hospital, and to the sessions judge, Patiala for onward transmission of this order to the chief judicial magistrate, Patiala immediately," the bench said.
The court had passed the order to shift Thakur out of Bihar after the CBI had said he was an influential person and was found in possession of mobile phone inside the Bhagalpur jail.
The apex court had earlier termed as "horrible" and "scary" details placed before it about the investigation into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.
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