Was going to contest 2019 elections on Congress ticket, claims Muzaffarpur mass rape main-accused Brajesh Thakur denying charges and crying conspiracy before being smeared with ink

Muzaffarpur mass rape main accused Brajesh Thakur had his face smeared by ink on Wednesday, shortly after he denied virtually all the findings and charges against him in the matter, alleging conspiracy. He made his statements while addressing mediapersons from behind the grilled windows of a custodial transport vehicle following his appearance before the Muzaffarpur district court. 

THAKUR DENIED VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING

Thakur, who it was recently learnt, had thus far managed to avoid time behind bars following his arrest in the case, spending about 18 of over 60 days in a hospital receiving treatment for blood sugar and back pain complaints and the remaining, in the jail's hospital ward, accepted that he had spoken to embattled Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma's husband several times but only shared 'normal' relations and political talk with him. In fact, Thakur denied associations with any politicians, refuting 'nexus' allegations that have been levelled in the aftermath of the horrific exploitation coming to light, and also dismissed that there had been any rapes at the shelter home run by his NGO or that any victims had named him. 

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'CONSPIRACY' AND 'CONGRESS TICKET FOR 2019'

The newspaper proprietor was adamant that business rivals were behind a plot against him, and that the allegations also had political motivations as he was going to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Muzaffarpur under a Congress ticket. 

After he was smeared by black paint, massive protests broke out outside the court premises. 

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Thakur's appearance, statement and smearing, comes against the backdrop of national outrage over the shocking goings-on at the Muzaffarpur Balika Grih run by his NGO, which has led to enormous political and public pressure being exerted on the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U)-BJP government in Bihar, particularly over the delay in taking strict and uncompromising action over such a grave matter, alleged political links of the main accused, and various other issues. The Nitish Kumar government's main defensive line throughout has been that it was it's own decision to have Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) conduct a social audit of such shelter homes that brought the mass rape to light. On what happened in the next two months, however, the government has offered little by way of acceptable response, apart from that the case has been transferred to the CBI (at least two months after the TISS report was tabled) and promises, without any evidence to back their believability or the government's own jurisdiction, that strict action will be taken on those who are responsible.

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Republic TV has aired a series of investigative reports over the mass rape, almost all of which directly contradict what Thakur said on Wednesday, including bloodcurdling, infuriating and heartbreaking testimonies from the victims, almost all of whom were minors, some as young as 7 years old. 

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