Muzaffarpur Shelter Home case: Manju Verma resigns as Bihar social welfare minister

In yet another major development in Muzaffarpur Shelter Home case, Bihar minister Manju Verma on Wednesday resigned as the social welfare minister after facing a lot of criticism over her husband's alleged links with mastermind Brajesh Thakur, a famous name in the power corridor of Patna.

"Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Case: Bihar Minister Manju Verma resigns. Her husband has been accused of having links with alleged mastermind Brajesh Thakur," the news agency ANI reported.

According to reports, Verma on Wednesday met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and handed over her resignation to him. Though Kumar had earlier rubbished all allegations against Verma, several call records found by the police establish that Chandeshwar Verma, the minister's husband was regularly in touch with Thakur.

On being asked about the reason behind her resignation, Verma said, "I resigned because media and opposition had created a furore, but I have full faith in CBI and Judiciary, I am sure truth will be out and my husband will come out clean".

"Call records of accused Brajesh Thakur should be made public, we will then see who all he used to talk to," the former Bihar minister added.

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The RJD leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav has been critical of the Nitish Kumar government ever since the report of sexual abuse of 34 girls at a state-run shelter home in Muzaffarpur came to the light.

The political furore took a dramatic turn after media accessed several pictures of Brajesh Thakur, with prominent political leaders from Bihar including Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Last week, the Supreme Court also came down heavily on the Bihar government, saying the state had financed the NGO in a way by giving public funds to the accused shelter homes.

For those unversed, in July, as many as 34 girls, aged among seven to 14 years, were drugged, scalded with boiling water, raped and forced to sleep naked in a government-run shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. One of the minors was mercilessly beaten to death following a disagreement with some of the staff members from the stay home.

Read | Minor victims of sexual abuse should not be interviewed: Supreme Court to journalists

The CBI is currently investigating the case, which relates to the mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls residing at the Balika Grih of Bihar's Muzaffarpur.

On Wednesday, the agency froze bank accounts of accused Brajesh Thakur and is also investigating his property. It has also demanded detailed medical report of Thakur from prison doctor. The CBI has been given two week-time by the Supreme Court to prepare a detailed report on the case.