The investigating agency said it is apparent that no minor inmate was murdered in the shelter home, and the investigation is still ongoing.
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, representing the CBI, contended before a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant that the court should accept the status report of the CBI filed in a sealed cover on the matter. The Chief Justice said "we are inclined to allow your application."
Venugopal said that the victims at the shelter home named people who were murdered, but the CBI have found all 35 alive. "One or two victims in their statement said that 35 have been murdered. The CBI conducted investigation and found the victims believed to be murdered are actually alive. We had a NIMHANS team examine the children, and they were found under severe trauma and could not get coherent answer from the children," he said.
The CBI said the investigation and inquiry in all 17 shelter home cases has been completed. The AG also said that the two skeletons recovered during the investigation were not of the inmates at the shelter home.
Earlier, the CBI had told the Supreme Court that investigations into 17 Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault cases have been completed. The agency also said that the report has been filed to take action against the erring government servants including District Magistrates.
"Investigation/enquiry of all 17 shelter home cases has been completed. The final report in 13 regular cases has been forwarded in the competent court. Enquiry of all four preliminary enquiries has also been completed and no evidence proving commission of criminal offence could be gathered and hence no FIR was registered on this count," the CBI said in the status report.
( With inputs from IANS )