The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the CBI to take over the probe into allegations of physical and sexual abuse of inmates at 16 shelter homes in Bihar.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur transferred the investigation, being conducted by Bihar police, to the CBI while dismissing the state government's request to not transfer the probe.

The apex court said the report of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) raises grave concern about 17 shelter homes in Bihar and CBI must look into all of them.

The Central Bureau of Investigation told the bench of Justice S.A. Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta, that in principle, it was ready to take over the investigation.

The agency is already investigating the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, in which it is expected to file a charge sheet by December 7, the court was told.

The apex court also said CBI officers probing the shelter home cases in Bihar shall not be transferred without its prior permission.