New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS): The court of Special POCSO Judge Saurabh Kulshreshta is set to pronounce judgment in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, here on Tuesday. The court concluded the final arguments on September 30, and had reserved the order.

The court had on March 20, 2018, framed charges against 20 accused, including main accused Brajesh Thakur, for offences of criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault against minors.

The accused -- eight women and 12 men -- included employees of the shelter home and officials of Social Welfare Department of Bihar.

All the accused were produced before the link judge who directed them to furnish a surety of Rs 50,000 each.

Thakur, former Bihar People's Party MLA, was charged under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, including Section 6 (aggravated sexual assault).

The matter had come to light following a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

The court had held trial for the offences of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, drugging of minors, criminal intimidation among other charges.

The case was transferred on February 7 from a local Muzaffarpur court to a POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi on the Supreme Court's directions.