Photographs of Brajesh Thakur with Bihar’s who’s who disappear from Balika Grih room

Muzaffarpur: Some photographs showing Brajesh Thakur – the jailed prime accused in the shelter home sex abuse case – with a motley of VIPs have mysteriously disappeared from the picture gallery of his house, sources associated with the investigation from the beginning have told The Telegraph.

The pictures, taken on different occasions with the Who’s Who of Bihar, had found place in the photo gallery housed in the ground floor visitors’ hall of the four-storied building that houses the Balika Grih shelter home.

The building, located on Sahu Road in the heart of Muzaffarpur town, around 80km north of Patna, is owned by Brajesh, who was known to flaunt his links with the high and mighty of Bihar’s political and administrative circles.

Altogether 34 girls staying at the shelter home for minor girls were found to have been raped and tortured since the scandal came to the fore on May 31 this year.

“The pictures with the VIPs adorned the photo gallery where guests or visitors used to meet Brajesh Thakur, the alleged mastermind behind the shelter home sexual exploitation case,” said a police officer who frequented the Balika Grih following allegations of sexual assault on minor girls living there.

The officer, who spoke to The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity, said the photos of particular VIPs were removed from the gallery at the behest of some top officials days before the CBI took over the probe on July 29. “I don’t know where those photos have been stored,” said the officer, who was earlier associated with the investigation before the case was handed over to the CBI.

The pictures of Brajesh’s father, late Radha Mohan Thakur, a school teacher-cum-owner of a newspaper, and a few icons such as Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar are still there.

Brajesh, sources close to the family said, used to click pictures with VIPs during the early days of his career as a journalist from Muzaffarpur. A photograph with RJD chief Lalu Prasad was recovered during the search of Swadhan Grih, a shelter home for adult girls run by the NGO Wama Shakti Vahini.

Altogether 11 women living in the shelter home were found missing on June 6 when a team of the district child protection unit visited it.

Subsequently one of them was traced to be a resident of Purani Bazar locality in Muzaffarpur town and sent to jail. The addresses and names of the remaining 10 women were found to be fake.

The state government on Thursday clarified that the Muzaffarpur jail authorities didn’t give any relaxation to Brajesh, who is in judicial custody.

Brajesh had complained of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac problems soon after he was produced before the court in the sexual abuse case on June 3.

“The court has directed the district administration to provide treatment to him (read Brajesh) at the time of his production in the court. He was treated at the jail hospital from June 3 and June 9. He was later shifted to SKMCH after his health condition didn’t improve. On August 14, he was shifted to the jail from SKMCH based on the medical report,” a press communiqué issued by the prison directorate and correctional services said.

Inspector-general (prisons) Mithilesh Mishra said that on August 11, a medical board led by civil surgeon examined the health of Brajesh and advised proper treatment. Hence he was treated at the jail hospital till August 14. Later he was shifted to the general prisoners’ ward, Mishra added.

Authoritative sources said Brajesh has been shifted to the high security ward (read cell) on the directive of superintendent of police Rajiv Jha.

Courtesy: The Telegraph