SC slams Bihar for funding NGOs involved in sexual abuse

August 7, 2018

New Delhi: Expressing concern over the spurt in rape cases, the Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Bihar government for misusing tax payers’ money to fund NGOs like the Muzaffarpur shelter home.

“People are paying taxes. People’s money is going into funding these kinds of activities…Money has been given to these NGOs without looking into their credentials,” a bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice K.M. Joseph remarked.

“What’s to be done? Girls getting raped left, right and centre,” the Bench noted citing the 2016 National Crime Research Bureau data available on the Internet. According to the data, 38,947 rapes were reported in 2016.

In Madhya Pradesh, girls are being sold openly for prostitution and the state leads in the number of rapes, followed by Uttar Pradesh, the court added.

Slamming the Bihar government for funding NGOs involved in sexual abuse cases, the top court questioned how the state could provide them funds without knowing their credentials.

As the bench asked the Bihar government since when the state was providing funds to these NGOs, it was told “since 2014.”

“For at least 3-4 years, the Bihar government is giving them money without purpose. Doesn’t the law require to check?”

The court has taken suo motu cognisance of the Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes after a Patna resident wrote to the court. The CBI is probing the case.

The court also imposed a blanket ban on the publication of images of victims of sexual offences even by putting black bars on part of face/blurred form on the electronic, print and social media.

It asked the Bihar government to take action against the wife of one of the accused for disclosing the names of minor rape victims by posting their names on her Facebook page.

The court suggested that proper monitoring of NGO-run shelter homes must be done on a daily basis and CCTVs be installed to prevent recurrence of incidents like the Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes.

The apex court was told that the Muzaffarpur-based NGO was not the only one facing allegations of rape and that a social audit report by Tata Institure of Social Sciences had flagged grave concern over 15 such state-funded institutions in Bihar.

Nine of the 15 NGOs have been flagged for sexual abuse, the bench was told.

At this, the bench said: “It’s not about this one incident which is horrible. It’s happening everyday, you must go down to the grass-roots level.”

The Bihar government counsel told the court that of the 15 NGOs, FIRs have been registered against nine, and that all accused have been arrested except one absconding. Some officers were suspended and are facing action, the court was told.

When the Delhi Commission for Women wanted to file an intervention application, the bench slammed it for interfering and said it doesn’t want any politics in the matter.

“The DCW has no concern with this (case) and there is absolutely no politics in it,” the Supreme Court said.
(IANS)

Bilkis Bano case: SC sets up a bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph to hear plea against release of 11 convicts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will, on March 27, hear a batch of petitions against the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, which also involves the killing...

Delhi court reserves order on Sisodia’s bail plea in CBI case

New Delhi: A court here on Friday reserved its order on bail plea filed by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's bail matter in connection with the now-scrapped excise...

People didn’t forgive Rahul in 2019, will also punish in 2024: Nadda

New Delhi: BJP chief J.P. Nadda slammed Rahul Gandhi on Friday by highlighting all the remarks that he made from the 2019 Lok Sabha election till date. Nadda said the...

Rahul conviction: Cong calls meeting of senior leaders

New Delhi: The Congress party has called a meeting of its steering committee members, senior leaders, state chiefs and legislative party leaders on Friday to devise a strategy after Rahul...

Russian woman jumps from building, Kerala Women’s Commission seeks report

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Women's Commission on Friday sought a report from the Koorachundu Police station in Kozhikode on the condition of a Russian woman presently undergoing treatment in the...

Delhi HC reserves verdict in police’s plea against discharge order of Sharjeel Imam, 10 others

The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved order in the revision petition filed by Delhi Police against the trial court order discharging Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha and...

Palestinian PM urges int’l measures to end incitement by Israeli officials

Ramallah, March 23 (IANS) Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye has urged the international community to stop Israeli officials from inciting racism against the Palestinians. Ishtaye made the remarks during a meeting...

Tamil Nadu: Man throws acid on wife inside court premises

A 40-year-old man allegedly threw acid on his wife inside district court premises in Coimbatore, on Thursday. The 35-year-old woman suffered severe injuries and was taken to the hospital. A...

Will appeal in higher court against Rahul’s conviction: Kharge

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday that they will appeal in higher courts against the conviction of Rahil Gandhi. In a tweet (in Hindi) he said, "Coward,...

My religion is truth: Rahul quotes Mahatma Gandhi on being convicted in defamation case

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi in his first reaction after being convicted by a Surat court on Thursday said, "my religion is truth". Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Rahul said in a tweet...

Manish Tewari moves adjournment notice to discuss China border issue

New Delhi: Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday moved an adjournment notice to discuss the border row with China in the Lok Sabha. "That this House do suspend Zero Hour...

12 hrs after Raj Thackeray’s ‘threat’, BMC razes illegal ‘dargah’ in Mahim sea

Mumbai: Barely 12 hours after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray's dramatic revelations of an unauthorised 'dargah' coming up in the Arabian Sea off Mahim, the BMC rushed a...

Read Previous

Karunanidhi is dead

Read Next

Amy major, 3 soldiers killed in Kashmir border fight

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com