Shelter home: SC asks Bihar why minister not arrested

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Bihar government to explain why its former minister Manju Verma, who resigned after her husband's name cropped up in the case of sexual assault of young girls at a Muzaffarnagar shelter home, was not arrested so far, despite the dismissal of her anticipatory bail.

Verma's husband Chandrashekhar Verma had already surrendered before a Begusarai court on Monday in connection with the arms case.

"Nobody is seemed bothered about the law. What is happening? Why has she not been arrested,” a bench of Justice Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta asked senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Bihar government.

Manju's plea for advance bail in the case related to the recovery of cache of arms was dismissed on October 9.

Kumar sought time till Wednesday to take instructions on the matter.

The top court, meanwhile, ordered the transfer of prime accused, Brijesh Thakur, from a jail in Bihar to Patiala prison.

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

The court declined a plea by Thakur to grant two weeks' time to him to file a reply until he was transferred outside the Bihar jail. The court had earlier found as "horrible" and "scary" details placed by the CBI before it about the investigation into the case. It also noted the report stating Thakur was an influential person and exercised a huge clout in Bihar.

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