Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
The alleged rape of 34 inmates at the government-funded shelter home for girls also resonated in Parliament where two Bihar MPs protested in Lok Sabha, on 6 August, demanding justice for the victims and claimed evidence of the crime was destroyed before the state government handed over the case to the CBI.
Putting the blame on the long-standing "flaw in the system" of such shelter homes being run by NGOs in the entire country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced his decision to phase out this practice in Bihar and said the state government would take over administration of all such centres over a period of time.
Hitting back at opposition leaders, Kumar asked, “Where these people were, who have suddenly grown so sensitive, when the first FIR was lodged on 31 May, and why have they woken up to the scandal in the last few weeks?”
He launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others who participated in the Jantar Mantar protest on 4 August, 2018, saying it showed corruption is no longer an issue for them.
Kumar also took potshots at his former party colleague Sharad Yadav and other opposition leaders for attending a protest in Delhi on the issue, organised by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying it was amusing to see people having spoken unkindly of women holding candle lights at an event organised by a person facing corruption charges.
While political parties continued indulging in a slugfest, the Patna High Court accepted the Bihar government's request to take up monitoring of the CBI investigation and ensure its speedy trial by appointing a special judge.
Advocate General Lalit Kishore told reporters that the court accepted both requests of the state government.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also directed the CBI to submit details regarding investigations so far and posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
(With inputs from PTI)
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