Women Commission Forms Panel to Look into Gang-Rape of Former Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Inmate

New Delhi: The National Commission for Women on Monday formed a committee to look into the gang-rape of a former inmate of the Muzaffarpur shelter home in a moving car.

The committee headed by NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma would travel to Bihar later this week on September 19-20 to meet the victim, the director general of police and possibly Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also.

"Our member from Bihar makes regular visits and escalated increasing cases of crime against women but things don't seem to improve. I'll discuss all cases in person with DGP Bihar, and also the Bihar chief minister if possible," Sharma tweeted.

"She is already a victim, rather than helping her out, she has to go through this. We will give her all help that she needs or asks for. We will have to ensure her safety as well," she added.

The commission has issued a notice to the Bihar DGP, asking him to treat this case on priority and hold speedy investigation.

The woman, who had been an inmate of the infamous Muzaffarpur shelter home, was allegedly raped by four men in a moving vehicle in Bettiah town of West Champaran district on Sunday.

The Muzaffarpur shelter home had hit the headlines in 2018 after a social audit report highlighted that over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the government-aided shelter home, run by an NGO.

In her complaint lodged at the Bettah town police station, the woman alleged that four men forcibly took her inside their vehicle while she was passing through the area, and raped her in a moving vehicle, police said.

Sharma said there has been an increase in the crime rate in Bihar.

"We have observed an increase in the crime targeted against women in Bihar despite the enactment of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013 and I will take it up with the DGP besides this recent unfortunate incident," she said.

"We have a member from Bihar and she has been working earnestly to get justice for women in the state. She has met the officials multiple times but the situation doesn't seem to get any better," the NCW chairperson added.