SC pulls up Bihar govt for not arresting ex-minister Manju Verma, asks is she above law

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Bihar Police for not arresting former state minister Manju Verma, who had stepped down in the wake of the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal, in a case related to recovery of ammunition from her possession.

The top court said even after her anticipatory bail application was dismissed by the Patna High Court on October 9, the police has not been able to arrest her.

Her husband Chandrashekhar Verma had surrendered before a Begusarai court on Monday in connection with the arms case registered against him, the apex court was informed by the Bihar government.

The court also directed that Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, be shifted to the Patiala high security jail in Punjab from Bihar's Bhagalpur jail.

The court passed the order to shift Thakur out of Bihar after the CBI had on October 25 said that he was an influential person and was found in possession of mobile phone inside the Bhagalpur jail.

A bench of justices M B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta said Thakur shall be kept under watch of the Superintendent of Police of Patiala.

"Brajesh Thakur be transferred to the prison in Patiala where he will be kept in watch by the Superintendent of Police. The movement of Brajesh Thakur should take place today or tomorrow on the outside," the bench said.

It also refused to give time to Thakur for filing his reply to the show cause notice issued by the court on October 25 asking him to explain why he should not be transferred out of Bihar, saying, "We decline to give any time for filing a reply until he goes out of Bihar."