Bihar Minister Manju Verma resigns over Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal

Under fire over the sex-scandal at the state-funded Muzaffarpur shelter home, Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma handed over her resignation to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday.

Sources in the Chief Minister's office said Verma met Kumar and submitted her resignation letter to him.

The opposition had been continously gunning for her head following allegations by the wife of an arrested accused from the department that Verma's husband was a frequent visitor to the Muzaffarpur shelter home, where 34 girls were allegedly raped over a period of time.

What appears to have precipitated her quitting is the 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 media from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur, Thakur admitted that he used to speak to the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, but it was "on political issues".

Kumar had earlier said that action would be taken against anybody howsoever mighty once involvement of the person concerned came to light.

Verma had, however, been defending herself by maintaining that her husband had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence.

She had also said that she was being targeted because she belonged to the Kushwaha caste, an OBC group.

An MLA from Cheria-Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district since 2010, Verma was minister in the NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar from JD(U) quota.

No action against the minister in the wake of the shelter home horror episode had been bringing a bad name for the CM as well his government across the country.