Former Bihar Minister Manju Verma's husband Chandrasekhar Verma surrendered before a court on Monday in connection to the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.
Chandrasekhar Verma, who was absconding for over a month, surrendered in the Begusarai District Court after a lower court and the Patna High Court repeatedly rejected his interim bail petitions.
In September, the police issued an arrest warrant against Chandrasekhar Verma in connection with an FIR registered by the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) under the Arms Act.
The Patna High Court on Oct 9 rejected an anticipatory bail plea by Manju Verma against arrest by the CBI, which is probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home horror.
Advertisement
At least 34 girl inmates of the shelter home were found to have been raped during a social audit in June.
The CBI has seized 50 live cartridges from the former Minister's Begusarai home.
Manju Verma resigned on August 8 following allegations that Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the case, had links with her husband.
What appeared to have precipitated her resignation was media reports that examination of mobile phone details of key accused Brajesh Thakur showed that he had spoken to her husband 17 times from January to June this year.
Speaking to the media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur, Thakur had admitted that he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was "on political issues".
Advertisement
Arrested on June 2, Thakur was lodged in the Muzaffarpur jail and was shifted to the Bhagalpur Central Jail last week.
The shelter home case was uncovered around two months ago after a report by Tata Institute of Social Sciences revealed that the inmates were sexually abused.
Of the 42 girls lodged at the short-stay home run by Thakur's NGO, 34 were found to have been sexually assaulted. The crime came to light after a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Addressing the media, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had said, "The culprits will not be spared at any cost. There will not be a lenient attitude in investigating the matter. If you still want to abuse me, feel free to do it like those people who are up against me. Kindly, look at the positive side of it. I am assuring you, both the culprits and the accomplices will be put behind the bars."
Terming the Bihar shelter home case 'horrible' and 'scary' the Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will not be appropriate to keep Brajesh Thakur (the main accused in the incident) in Bihar jail as he is a very influential person.
"Its very scary and terrible. What is the Bihar government doing? Brajesh Thakur (main accused) is a very influential man," said the apex court.
(With inputs from agencies)
