Vivek Hari
Patna : In the eye of storm over the sexual exploitation of 34 inmates of State Government funded Muzaffarpur Balika Grih, Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma, a senior JD(U) leader, resigned from her post on August 8, 2018. She submitted her resignation to CM Nitish Kumar.
The opposition had been gunning for her head following allegations by the wife of an arrested accused from the department that Manju Verma’s husband was a frequent visitor to Muzaffarpur Balika Grih where 34 girls were raped over a period of time. Manju Verma represents Cheria Bariarpur constituency in Begusarai district in Bihar Assembly.
The media reports that examination of mobile phone details of the key accused Brajesh Thakur, Director of Muzaffarpur Balika Grih, showed that he had spoken to her husband 17 times from January to June 2018 appears to have forced Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma to resign from her post. Speaking to mediapersons from a prison van in the court compound at Muzaffarpur, jailed Thakur admitted that he used to speak to the minister’s husband Chandeshwar Verma though on political matters.
Manju Verma had so far been defending herself by claiming that her husband had visited the shelter home only once and that too in her presence.
CM Nitish Kumar had earlier said that action would be taken against anybody howsoever mighty once involvement of the person concerned came to light. The CBI is probing into the entire episode. The Supreme Court had on August 7, 2018, slammed Bihar Government for inaction against tainted Muzaffapur NGO, which ran the Balika Grih.
Meanwhile, some people smeared Brajesh Thakur’s face with black colour at Muzaffarpur on August 8.