The medical examination of Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case has refuted claims made by his family that he was being tortured in the jail in Patiala where he is lodged.

The Supreme Court had last Thursday ordered the medical examination of Thakur after his children alleged he was being tortured and directed that the reported be submitted before the court by Dec 10. He is scheduled to be to be produced in a Patiala court today.  His children have alleged that he was being physically and mentally harassed in jail and that the jail superintendent was trying to extort money from him.

Last month, the top court had ordered Thakur’s transfer to the high-security jail from a Bihar’s jail after the prosecution said he might interfere with the trial and witnesses. The alleged sexual exploitation of children at the shelter came to light in April after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted an audit report of 110 shelter homes in the state. The audit had been ordered by the state government, which filed a first information report against 11 people, including Thakur, on May 31. A medical report has confirmed the sexual assault of 34 inmates at the shelter.

—India Legal Bureau