The Supreme Court has ordered the Saket court to conclude the trial within six months.
The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Bihar government for its management of shelter homes as it ordered the transfer of the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case to a court in New Delhi.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said the cases should be transferred from the Bihar CBI court to a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Saket trial court within two weeks.
It ordered the Saket trial court to conclude the trial within six months. The transfer will be made within 2 weeks and in another 2 weeks for the judge to commence trial.
Bihar government has been asked to cooperate with the CBI in transfer of case records and production of witnesses.
The CBI had filed chargesheet in the case on December 19, 2018.
The court also demanded that any senior government official from the state be present in court at 2 pm to explain how these things were allowed to happen in Muzaffarpur shelter home and 17 other homes, where the cases of sexual abuse and torture are under probe by the CBI.
The apex court also rapped the CBI for transferring its officer probing the sexual assault case and said it amounted to a violation of its order. A bench asked the investigating agency to file an affidavit giving an explanation.
The apex court asked the CBI to take instructions by 2 pm on why Joint Director AK Sharma was transferred out despite an embargo on his transfer imposed by the court.
Sharma was transferred by Appointments committee of cabinet in January this year. Court asked the CBI whether the cabinet committee was informed about the embargo order on his transfer issued by the top court in August 2018.
"Enough is enough. Children cannot be treated like this. You cannot let your officers treat children this way. Spare the children," the top court told the Bihar government.
It said the court will summon the chief secretary if the state fails to give all information.
Several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at an NGO-run shelter home in Muzaffarpur. The issue came to light in May last year following a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
(With inputs from PTI, Abraham Thomas)
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