Bihar minister quits over ‘links’
Bihar's social welfare minister, Manju Verma, on Wednesday resigned following CBI disclosures that her husband, Chandeshwar Verma, had 17 telephonic conversations with
Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the infamous Muzaffarpur remand home rape case.
Brajesh Thakur, while talking to media persons at Muzaffarpur district court, admitted that he used to talk to her husband, but on political issues only.
The minister was summoned on Wednesday by chief minister Nitish Kumar at his bungalow and told to submit her papers immediately
following call details records of her alleged conversations being made public.
The minister, on her part, admitted that calls made by Brajesh Thakur were received on her mobile phone but since she was busy with official work, her husband
responded to these calls.
On Monday, both the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had defended the minister and ruled out her resignation claiming she was innocent.
Verma had alleged she was being targeted as she belonged to the Kushwaha caste (OBC) which constitutes 7 per cent of the total electorate in the state.
The Mjuzaffarpur police had arrested ten people, including Brajesh Thakur, in May following reports of their involvement in mass rape on 34 minor girls at the shelter home.
The case was later transferred to CBI on July 30,
Patna High Court is monitoring the investigation and Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of it on Tuesday and asked the state government to submit a detailed report within a week.
The issue was raised in both the Houses of Parliament last week and Opposition MPs demanded resignation of the minister.