Shelter home rape case: Manju Verma surrenders in court

Former Bihar Minister Manju Verma, who was absconding for months, surrendered before a local court in Begusarai on Tuesday.

She had been evading arrest ever since she was booked under Arms Act, following a police raid during which 50 live cartridges were recovered from her Begusarai residence. The Supreme Court had expressed its shock and displeasure over the Bihar police’s failure to arrest her and asked the DGP to explain it in the apex court about the lapse next week.

Verma had earlier resigned as Bihar Social Welfare Minister in August this year after the CBI probe into Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case found her husband Chandrashekhar Verma was in constant touch with the main accused Brajesh Thakur. Chandrashekhar, who surrendered in the court last month, is already languishing in jail.

Dramatic Surrender

To hide her identity, Manju reached court on Tuesday morning wearing a burqa. She arrived at the court premises in an auto-rickshaw, instead of her car. “Manju has surrendered due to pressure built by the police which had started attaching her property,” said ADG, SK Singhal.

Rise and fall of Manju

Manju, who was suspended from the JD (U) last week, is married to a former MLC Chandrashekhar Verma. Her father-in-law Sukhdeo Mahto was a CPI MLA from Cheria Bariarpur in Bihar’s Begusarai district.

Chandrashekhar, however, joined Janata Dal (United) in 2007. One year prior to joining the ruling party, Chandrashekhar fielded his wife Manju Verma in the panchayat poll in 2006. However, Manju lost the election.

Later, using his clout, Chandrashekhar managed to get JD (U) ticket for Manju from Cheria Bariarpur Assembly constituency in 2010. This time she won. She again won from this constituency in 2015 and was made Social Welfare Minister. She resigned on August 8 this year after shelter home controversy.