Muzaffarpur: A heartbreaking incident came to light in 2018 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, where 34 minor girls aged between 7 and 17 were sexually abused and tortured for years in a shelter home. This shameful incident shook the entire country. How was it revealed? In 2017, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) conducted a survey of shelter homes in Bihar. In 2018, the report revealed that 34 out of 42 girls were sexually abused and tortured in the shelter home of ‘Seva Sankalp and Vikas Samiti’ in Muzaffarpur. After the report was leaked and public protests, the Bihar government took action. Investigation and arrests On May 29, 2018, the girls were shifted to other shelter homes. On May 31, an FIR was registered against the main accused, Brijesh Thakur and others. The report of Patna Medical College confirmed the abuse, which also found evidence of some girls becoming pregnant and having abortions. Eleven accused, including Brijesh, who ran a newspaper and took advantage of government connections, were arrested. The trial of the case was shifted from Muzaffarpur to Saket Court in Delhi. The victim girls have narrated the horrific atrocities they suffered. Tell stories. The CBI conducted an investigation, in which reports of a girl going missing also came to light, but this could not be confirmed. In 2020, 11 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment. The result This scandal exposes the mismanagement of shelter homes in Bihar and the nexus of powerful people. It not only raised questions on the government system but also awakened the society to the protection of minor girls.