Facing arrest, ex-minister Manju Verma pleads with court not declare her absconder
Begusarai, Nov 6: Facing arrest in an Arms Act case after the alleged recovery of a huge cache of ammunition from her residence, former Bihar minister Manju Verma Tuesday moved a Begusarai court, pleading with it not to declare her an "absconder."
Verma had to resign as the social welfare minister from the Nitish Kumar Cabinet in August after reports suggested "close links" between her husband Chandrashekhar Verma and prime accused Brajesh Thakur in the Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal.
Verma was subsequently booked in an Arms Act case, which was lodged after recovery of a huge cache of ammunition from her residence in Begusarai during a raid by the CBI sleuths, probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal.
Verma's counsel Satya Narayan Mahto moved the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Prabhat Trivedi Tuesday soon after the police approached it to declare the former minister a "proclaimed offender" for evading the arrest.
A court declaring an accused a proclaimed offender entitles the police to paste a legal notice on the walls of the residence of accused, asking him or her to surrender before the court within a stipulated period, failing which the property of the accused is liable to be confiscated and auctioned.
The former minister's counsel submitted to the magisterial court that his client was not evading arrest but only following the due process of law to get a relief against arrest.
Mahto argued that the former minister was not an absconder but had approached the Supreme Court to seek bail in the case after the Patna High Court had turned down her anticipatory bail plea on October 9.
The Supreme Court, however, had pulled up the Bihar Police on October 30 for not arresting Verma till then, despite dismissal of her anticipatory bail plea by the high court.
The next day the apex court bench was informed that the former minister was in "hiding".
The Begusarai court subsequently issued an arrest warrant against Verma on October 31.
Over 30 girls and women were allegedly raped and sexually abused at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur and it had come to light that Chandrashekhar Verma had spoken to Thakur several times between January and June.
An FIR was lodged on May 31 against 11 people, including Thakur, who was running the shelter home. The probe into the case was later handed ober to the CBI by the Bihar government.
An FIR was lodged against Manju Verma under Arms Act in August at Cheria Bariarpur police station of Begusarai district after the seizure of about 50 live cartridges from her residence.
The seizure was made by the CBI raids at Verma's family residences in Patna and Begusarai during its probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal.
On October 25, the apex court had asked the Bihar government and the CBI to explain why there was a delay in tracing whereabouts of Chandrashekhar Verma, who is wanted for alleged illegal possession of ammunition in large quantity.
Chandrashekhar Verma surrendered before the Begusarai court on October 29.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
