Muzaffarpur shelter home case: Tortured for being woman, belonging to Kushwaha community: Manju Verma

Manju Verma, the former Bihar social welfare minister, who has been arrested under the Arms Act in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse scandal, on Saturday alleged that she has been tortured for the last four months only because she is a woman and belongs to a weaker community. Verma's statement came after she was produced before a Begusarai court this morning.

"Why am I being tortured for past 4 months? I am being victimised because I belong to weaker community, because I am from Kushwaha community and I am woman," ANI quoted the former Bihar minister.

Former Bihar Min Manju Verma after being produced before court in Arms Act case in connection with Muzaffarpur Shelter Home Case: Why am I being tortured for past 4 months? I'm being victimsed because I belong to weaker community, because I'm from Kushwaha community & I'm a woman pic.twitter.com/55x0zfZB5B

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2018

Read | Muzaffarpur shelter home case: District Magistrate attaches properties of Brajesh Thakur's wife, six others

On Tuesday, November 20, Verma surrendered before a Begusarai court which later sent her to a one-day police remand. She and her husband Chandrasekhar Verma were evading arrest following the recovery of a huge cache of arms ammunition from their Patna residence. The Arms Act case cropped up in course of a CBI probe into the Mauzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal.

Last month, the Janata Dal-United (JDU) suspended Verma from the primary membership of the party after the court proclaimed her an "absconder" and also ordered the Bihar Police to attach her properties.

Verma was forced to step down as the Bihar social welfare minister under relentless pressure to take moral responsibility for her husband's alleged links with Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case. Chandrasekhar had surrendered before a court on October 29.

Read | Muzaffarpur shelter home case: Manju Verma declared 'absconder'; order to attach property

Muzaffarpur shelter home case refers to the alleged sexual exploitation of over minor girls, aged among seven to 14 years residing at the Balika Grih of Bihar's Muzaffarpur.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the case, which to the mental, physical and sexual exploitation of the girls at the state-funded NGO. So far, 17 people have been arrested in connection to the same.