Nitish Kumar ruled out resignation of Manju Verma, Bihar's Social Welfare minister
Trouble is closing in on a Bihar minister facing calls for her sacking over the shelter home rape horror, sources say. The police say call records confirm that minister Manju Verma's husband was regularly in touch with the man who ran the shelter home in Muzaffarpur in which over 30 girls were raped and tortured. Seventeen calls were exchanged between them this year, say sources.
The role of the minister's husband, Chandeshwar Verma, came under scrutiny when the wife of an arrested child protection officer demanded an investigation against him.
Shibha Kumari, wife of Muzaffarpur Child Protection Officer Ravi Roshan, has alleged that the minister's husband used to visit the shelter home frequently.' The Supreme Court today ordered Shibha Kumari's arrest for disclosing names on social media.
An initial analysis of the CDR or Call Data Records of main accused Brajesh Thakur, whose NGO ran the shelter home, has not yet revealed whether he spoke to the minister's husband after the scandal broke out.
On Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Modi ruled out the resignation of Manju Verma, who is the state's Social Welfare minister.
They said there were "no incriminating documents" to merit her resignation. "She will resign when anything that suggests wrongdoing on her part comes up," said Nitish Kumar at a press conference in Patna.
Sources have told NDTV that the minister is on shaky grounds and her survival depends on the investigation of Brajesh Thakur's call data taken by the police and the CBI. His travel details from agents are also being examined. If it is established that he has paid for even a single trip of the minister's husband, Nitish Kumar "won't even take seconds" to accept her resignation, say sources.
Janata Dal united leaders admit that though the Chief Minister has defended her till now, Manju Verma's future as minister is in doubt.