Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Rape Case: Ex-Bihar minister Manju Verma surrenders before Begusarai court

Absconding former Bihar minister Manju Verma on Tuesday surrendered in a Begusarai Court. The former Bihar minister was on the run after registration of an FIR against her and her husband Chandrasekhar Verma under the Arms Act case. The surrender of former social welfare minister came days after Bihar Police attached her property in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home case. In August, Verma had to step down from her post following reports that her husband had close connections with Brajesh Thakur – a close aide of key accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case.

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During the raids at her Begusarai residence in connection with the shelter home rape case, the police had found live cartridges and registered a case under Arms Act against the minister and her husband. After the registration of the case, the minister disappeared in winds even as the Patna High Court rejected her bail application, where she pleaded that she was not evading arrest, but "seeking relief as per law".

On Friday, a magistrate court had pronounced Verma absconder and ordered attachment of her properties. Verma’s husband had surrendered before the court on October 29. 

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had rapped the Bihar Police for its failure to arrest Verma and directed the DGP to appear before it in person on November 27 if the ex-minister was not arrested.

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Over 34 girls, aged 7 to 14 years, were allegedly drugged, scalded with boiling water, raped and forced to sleep naked at a state-funded shelter home run by Brajesh Thakur. The shocking case of sexual exploitation of the minor girls on such a large scale was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences to the state's social welfare department.