The Bihar Police on Monday started digging a ground at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur to look for the body of a girl who was allegedly buried there after being raped and murdered. An inmate of the state-run shelter home informed the police about the body during an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of dozens of fellow inmates.

Ten people have been arrested so far, ANI quoted Senior Superintendent of Police Harpreet Kaur as saying. “Nothing has been found so far at the shelter home premises where digging is under way,” she said. “We are conducting a thorough investigation. Police is working independently.” The police will soon file a chargesheet against those arrested, she added.

The excavation is being carried out in the presence of Executive Magistrate (Eastern) Priya Rani Gupta and senior police officials, according to ANI.

Medical examination has confirmed that at least 16 girls were raped. The medical reports of the other girls are yet to come out, NDTV reported.

The allegations came to light in May after Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, released an audit report based on conversations with several inmates of the shelter home. According to the report, more than 40 minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted. One of the victims later told the police about her ordeal and about the body of the girl who was allegedly buried after being raped and murdered.

On Monday, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Bihar government of remaining quiet on the “flood of rape incidents” in the state. “Imagine how you will feel if girls between seven and 17 years old from your family or village were raped brutally by state-sponsored animals,” he tweeted.