The trailer for ‘Bhakshak’ opens with a poignant scene depicting younger women residing in a shelter residence in Bihar. Starring Bhumi Pednekar, Aditya Srivastava, and Sanjay Mishra, the movie delves into the harrowing narrative impressed by the Muzaffarpur shelter residence abuse case that reverberated throughout the nation in 2018.

Former Bihar MLA Brajesh Thakur and 11 others at present serve a life sentence for his or her involvement within the appalling sexual assault of quite a few minor women.

This tragic episode got here to gentle by way of a social audit report performed by a devoted workforce of researchers from Koshish — a Subject Motion Challenge specializing in homelessness and destitution on the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Over a span of six months, commencing in October 2017, a workforce 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 have been nothing in need of alarming for the researchers. They uncovered widespread cases of sexual abuse and violence in almost 17 establishments, revealing a deeply disturbing actuality.

The report submitted by TISS to the Bihar Authorities in Could 2018 marked 17 establishments as ‘grave concern’, which required rapid consideration. One in all these establishments was Balika Grih (lady’s shelter residence) run by Brajesh Thakur’s NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti. The TISS researchers, led by Mohd Tarique, discovered that the ladies on this residence have been sexually abused and assaulted.

Additional investigation by the police and medical examination discovered that 34 women on the residence, between the ages of seven and 17, have been sexually assaulted. The case was then transferred to the CBI and 20 folks have been charged within the incident.

The prime accused, Thakur, who ran different shelter houses too, was convicted on a number of grounds of rape, gangrape (Part 376(d), IPC), prison conspiracy, aggravated sexual assault underneath Part 6 of the POCSO Act, and offences underneath 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 workforce 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 entails talking to the folks on the bottom, would uncover the true image, it was determined that the workforce ought to conduct an in depth investigation.

The establishments included adoption companies, youngsters’s houses, short-stay houses for girls, outdated age houses, and extra. Initially, solely establishments run by NGOs have been to be lined, however later Authorities-run houses have been additionally included within the ambit.

What actually helped the workforce, in line with Tarique, was the methodology they used.

“Having labored with the homeless for over twenty years, I knew how we would have liked to method and converse to the residents of such houses. We had strict guidelines once we entered every establishment and spoke individually to the chiefs, workers 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 youngsters sitting very quietly, in an organised method, with worry of their eyes, it was a pink flag, says Tarique.

Additionally they didn’t permit any workers members to hitch after they performed focus teams with the residents, be they youngsters or elders.

“We needed to win the belief of the kids in a brief time frame. We didn’t permit any workers members inside once we spoke. We didn’t settle for any refreshments once we entered. In truth, if workers 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 workers tried to maintain interrupting within the pretext of some refreshments whereas they spoke to the residents, that too was an indication of alarm.

Crucial factor, in line with the social employee, was not performing instantly, primarily based on the considerations. “First, the kid will take a look at you by sharing a minor incident. Should you go and query the workers instantly, the kid might be reprimanded and received’t belief you. It’s solely after they belief you that they are going to really feel snug sharing the graver incident. If we get into the mode of fixing issues, we would lose out on the extra critical incident that the kid needed to report,” he provides.

They adopted a balanced, strategic method, the place being impartial was key.

Youngsters seldom share incidents of abuse overtly, in line with him. They tried to create an setting that inspired youngsters to return ahead and converse. “Youngsters shared that one other little one has been abused. They’ll all the time use one other particular person’s title,” he informs.

Whereas they performed focus teams, youngsters who wished to talk alone did so. It was by way of this method that they discovered alarming indicators on the Balika Grih in Muzaffarpur.

Additionally they noticed the non-verbal communication between the workers 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 residence, they discovered that it was being run in a questionable method. Additionally they discovered that the ladies have been locked up of their rooms and had no entry to open house.

They escalated their fears and beneficial rapid additional probe. The Bihar Police then filed an FIR on the girls’s police station in Muzaffarpur in Could 2018 and named 11 folks, together with Brajesh Thakur. A medical report discovered that “34 of the 44 women on the residence have been drugged and raped”.

The Supreme Court docket intervened and transferred the case to the CBI, which charged 20 folks, together with 9 girls.

The women have been shifted to totally different houses quickly and 17 of them have been despatched to Bengaluru to do lodge administration. A report by The Indian Categorical discovered that 17 of these 34 women have constructed their lives and are working in motels throughout the nation. Seventeen of the ladies are with their households now, as per the identical report.

“It seems like we’re born once more, in a greater world. We’ve a motive to place our torturous previous behind,” mentioned a girl from the house who works in a four-star lodge in Bengaluru to The Indian Categorical.

(Edited by Pranita Bhat)

Sources

‘5 years on, women who survived abuse in Muzaffarpur shelter residence rebuild their lives’ by Santosh Singh for The Indian Categorical, Revealed in 25 November, 2023