SC raps Bihar Police for not arresting ex-minister Manju Verma

The Supreme Court on Monday rapped the Bihar Police for its failure in arresting former state minister Manju Verma in a case related to the recovery of ammunition from her house during a raid conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case.

"We are quite shocked that former Cabinet minister could not be traced by the police for over a month. We would like the police to tell us that how such an important person is not traceable? Director General of Police needs to appear before us," the court said.

Coming down heavily on the Bihar Police, Justice Madan B Lokur said, "Fantastic! Cabinet Minister (Manju Verma) on the run, fantastic. How could it happen that the Cabinet Minister is absconding and nobody knows where she is? You realise the seriousness of the issue that the Cabinet minister is not traceable. It's too much." The court has now scheduled the matter for hearing on November 27.

Earlier this month, a non-bailable warrant was issued against the former Social Welfare Minister of Bihar in connection with an Arms Act case.

A Begusarai court had earlier issued an arrest warrant against Verma soon after the Supreme Court rapped the Bihar government for not arresting her. A hunt has also been launched to arrest the former minister, who is currently absconding. Earlier in August this year, around 50 live cartridges were seized from one of Verma's residences during a raid carried out in connection with the shelter home rape case.

Verma had resigned as the Social Welfare Minister of Bihar in August this year after her husband Chandrashekhar Verma came under fire for allegedly having links with Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case. The shelter home rape case pertains to alleged sexual harassment of 44 girls residing at shelter home in Muzaffarpur, which was run by the NGO Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, owned by Brajesh Thakur.