Muzaffarpur shelter home case : Skeletons recovered were not of children, CBI tells top court

New Delhi : There is no evidence of murder of children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur shelter home, the CBI told the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The probe agency informed the apex court that two skeletons were recovered, which were later, in forensic investigation, found to be of a woman and a man.

It said all 35 girls, who were alleged to be murdered were later traced by the investigation agency and found to be alive.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde accepted the status report of the CBI and allowed two officers to be relieved from the investigation team.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, told a bench, also comprising Justice B R Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, that inmates had given statements that murder of children had taken place and bodies were buried.

"When the probe agency went to the spot where the alleged bodies were buried, two skeleton parts were recovered. On forensic investigation of the skeleton parts it was found to be of a woman and a man and the possibility of murder of minor was ruled out," Venugopal said.

He said when experts of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) again spoke to the girls who had given the statement, the allegation of murder of minors was found to be false.

Venugopal said the investigation agency traced the 35 girls who were alleged to be murdered and found them alive.

He told the bench that the probe was carried out on allegations of rape and sexual assault of children and charge sheets have been filed before the courts concerned.

The attorney general said the CBI has investigated cases of 17 shelter homes in Bihar and charge sheets have been filed in 13 of them, while four cases were closed when after preliminary enquiry no evidence of any wrongdoing was found.

Venugopal said trial proceedings in one of the case was complete and judgement was likely to be pronounced in January 14.

Advocate Shoeb Alam appearing for petitioner Nivedita Jha said that under section 161 of CrPC the minor girls have clearly given statement that inmates of shelter home were murdered.

Contradicting the attorney general's statements, he said, "Merely because all the girls were found, does not rule the possibility that no murder has taken place and probe agency should look into the allegations".