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The trailer for ‘Bhakshak’ opens with a poignant scene depicting younger ladies residing in a shelter house in Bihar. Starring Bhumi Pednekar, Aditya Srivastava, and Sanjay Mishra, the movie delves into the harrowing narrative impressed by the Muzaffarpur shelter house abuse case that reverberated throughout the nation in 2018.
Former Bihar MLA Brajesh Thakur and 11 others presently serve a life sentence for his or her involvement within the appalling sexual assault of quite a few minor ladies.
This tragic episode got here to gentle by means of a social audit report performed by a devoted crew of researchers from Koshish — a Discipline Motion Undertaking specializing in homelessness and destitution on the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Over a span of six months, commencing in October 2017, a crew of seven diligently surveyed greater than 110 establishments both operated or supported by the Bihar Authorities.
Whereas the first purpose of the social audit was to evaluate the functioning of those establishments, gauge the well-being of their residents, and determine gaps within the implementation of welfare schemes and the standard of care offered, the findings had been nothing wanting alarming for the researchers. They uncovered widespread situations of sexual abuse and violence in practically 17 establishments, revealing a deeply disturbing actuality.
The report submitted by TISS to the Bihar Authorities in Might 2018 marked 17 establishments as ‘grave concern’, which required quick consideration. Certainly one of these establishments was Balika Grih (woman’s shelter house) run by Brajesh Thakur’s NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti. The TISS researchers, led by Mohd Tarique, discovered that the women on this house had been sexually abused and assaulted.
Additional investigation by the police and medical examination discovered that 34 ladies on the house, between the ages of seven and 17, had been sexually assaulted. The case was then transferred to the CBI and 20 folks had been charged within the incident.
The prime accused, Thakur, who ran different shelter properties too, was convicted on a number of grounds of rape, gangrape (Part 376(d), IPC), felony conspiracy, aggravated sexual assault below Part 6 of the POCSO Act, and offences below the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Higher India spoke to Mohd Tarique about how the TISS unearthed this heinous crime.
A social audit that uncovered an appalling case
TISS was working with the Bihar Authorities as a information associate for the social welfare division. The then Principal Secretary, Division of Social Welfare, Atul Prasad, requested the crew to conduct a social audit of all of the establishments as he felt that there have been lapses within the functioning of the identical. As solely a social audit, which includes chatting with the folks on the bottom, would uncover the true image, it was determined that the crew ought to conduct an in depth investigation.
The establishments included adoption companies, kids’s properties, short-stay properties for ladies, outdated age properties, and extra. Initially, solely establishments run by NGOs had been to be lined, however later Authorities-run properties had been additionally included within the ambit.
What actually helped the crew, in response to Tarique, was the methodology they used.
“Having labored with the homeless for over 20 years, I knew how we would have liked to method and converse to the residents of such properties. We had strict guidelines after we entered every establishment and spoke individually to the chiefs, employees members, and residents, and performed a bodily verify of every facility,” explains Tarique.
Proper from the time they entered a house, they seemed for non-verbal indicators, which mentioned greater than phrases. They gauged the scenario from the environment at every establishment. For instance, in the event that they discovered kids sitting very quietly, in an organised method, with worry of their eyes, it was a crimson flag, says Tarique.
Additionally they didn’t permit any employees members to hitch once they performed focus teams with the residents, be they kids or elders.
“We needed to win the belief of the youngsters in a brief time period. We didn’t permit any employees members inside after we spoke. We didn’t settle for any refreshments after we entered. In truth, if employees members tried to delay our assembly with the residents by providing snacks, it was additionally an indication of one thing amiss for us,” provides Tarique.
If employees tried to maintain interrupting within the pretext of some refreshments whereas they spoke to the residents, that too was an indication of alarm.
A very powerful factor, in response to the social employee, was not performing instantly, based mostly on the considerations. “First, the kid will take a look at you by sharing a minor incident. In the event you go and query the employees instantly, the kid shall be reprimanded and gained’t belief you. It’s solely once they belief you that they’ll really feel snug sharing the graver incident. If we get into the mode of fixing issues, we’d lose out on the extra severe incident that the kid wished to report,” he provides.
They adopted a balanced, strategic method, the place being impartial was key.
Kids seldom share incidents of abuse brazenly, in response to him. They tried to create an atmosphere that inspired kids to return ahead and converse. “Kids shared that one other little one has been abused. They may all the time use one other individual’s title,” he informs.
Whereas they performed focus teams, kids who wished to talk alone did so. It was by means of this method that they discovered alarming indicators on the Balika Grih in Muzaffarpur.
Additionally they noticed the non-verbal communication between the employees members. At these locations that they marked ‘grave’, they discovered an environment of worry and the air of one thing being hidden.
After their over six-month audit throughout 38 districts, they lastly submitted the report.
Highlighting the dreadful scenario on the Balika Gruh, which was a state-run house, they discovered that it was being run in a questionable method. Additionally they discovered that the women had been locked up of their rooms and had no entry to open area.
They escalated their fears and beneficial quick additional probe. The Bihar Police then filed an FIR on the ladies’s police station in Muzaffarpur in Might 2018 and named 11 folks, together with Brajesh Thakur. A medical report discovered that “34 of the 44 ladies on the house had been drugged and raped”.
The Supreme Court docket intervened and transferred the case to the CBI, which charged 20 folks, together with 9 ladies.
The ladies had been shifted to completely different properties quickly and 17 of them had been despatched to Bengaluru to do lodge administration. A report by The Indian Specific discovered that 17 of these 34 ladies have constructed their lives and are working in lodges throughout the nation. Seventeen of the women are with their households now, as per the identical report.
“It looks like we’re born once more, in a greater world. We’ve a purpose to place our torturous previous behind,” mentioned a lady from the house who works in a four-star lodge in Bengaluru to The Indian Specific.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat)
Sources
‘5 years on, ladies who survived abuse in Muzaffarpur shelter house rebuild their lives’ by Santosh Singh for The Indian Specific, Printed in 25 November, 2023
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