Patna, August 6: The main accused in the Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case, Brajesh Thakur, instead of being behind the bars, is "resting" in the hospital ward for more than a month, according to media reports . The Muzaffarpur shelter home case, where 34 minor girl inmates have been raped, has become the talking point not only in social circles but also in the political scene as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in a press conference on Monday, blamed the system for the shelter home rape case.

The shelter home in Muzaffarpur was managed by the NGO named Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, and was run by Thakur. According to reports, Brajesh Thakur has been in the hospital ward of the jail instead of being behind the prison. Thakur was reportedly shifted to jail from the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in Muzaffarpur on June 27. It was on June 2, that he was arrested, but he continued to be in the hospital rather than in jail, citing health issues.

The Muzaffarpur Jail Superintendent, Rajiv Kumar Jha, while talking to the Economic Times, said that Brijesh Thakur has been lodged in the hospital ward of the jail, as recommended by the doctors at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Thakur is reportedly suffering from health complications including diabetes and blood pressure issues. Jha, answering on the question as to why has been Thakur kept out of jail, asked "who will be responsible if something happens to him in a barrack?"

The Indian Express, in its investigative report, had mentioned that a Hindi daily which is owned by Brajesh Thakur, received heavy advertisement amount from the government despite very low circulation. The report mentions that the circulation of Pratah Kamal, the daily owned by Thakur, were shown as 60, 862 copies which in reality only publishes 300 copies daily. Despite the low circulation and printing, the paper is said to have received advertisements worth Rs 30 lakhs annually, from the Bihar government.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 06, 2018 02:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).