Muzaffarpur shelter home case: Ex-Bihar Minister Manju Verma surrenders in Begusarai Court

Former Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma, who had been evading arrest in an Arms Act case which cropped up in course of a CBI probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, surrendered before the Begusarai Court.

Last week, armed with a court order, the police attached Verma's property at Arjun tola village. All articles inside the house were seized during the operation initiated under sections 82 and 83 of Criminal Procedure Code. It lasted for around five hours.

The case under the Arms Act was registered against the ex-minister and her husband Chandrashekhar Verma at Cheria Bariyarpur police station in the district following the recovery of a huge cache of ammunition from their residence.

The recovery had been made by a CBI team which had raided the premises in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex abuse case of over 30 minor girls.

Verma had stepped down as the minister for social welfare in August following reports that her husband had close links with Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the scandal.

Her husband had surrendered before a court here on October 29, even as the Supreme Court earlier this week rapped the Bihar Police for its failure to arrest Verma, and directed the DGP to appear in person on November 27 if she was not arrested by then.

An embarrassed JD(U), headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, recently suspended her from the primary membership of the party.

Opposition parties like the RJD and Hindustani Awam Morcha have accused the ruling party of shielding the absconder.