Shelter-home case: Court rejects anticipatory bail of ex-minister, husband
Patna, Aug 25: A Bihar court on Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail of former Bihar Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma and her husband relating to an FIR registered by the CBI against them under Arms Act. Both are likely to be arrested soon, police said.
The CBI had conducted raids at their residence in Patna and Begusarai in connection with Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case.
The investigating agency recovered 50 live cartridges at their Begusarai residence leading to registration of the FIR in the Beritarpur police station against Verma and her husband under the Arms Act.
The CBI interrogated Verma and her husband Chandeshwar Verma separately.
Manju Verma resigned on August 8 following allegations that Brijesh Thakur, the main accused in the case, had links with her husband.
Arrested on June 2, Thakur is currently lodged in Muzaffarpur jail.
Of the 42 girls lodged at the short-stay home run by Thaku's NGO, 34 minor girls were found to have been sexually assaulted. The crime came to light after a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
The shelter home has been sealed.
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Two held for 'firing' at BJP leader's house in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A day before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections, two persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly being involved in a firing incident outside the residence of a BJP leader in North 24 Parganas district, police said.
BJP leader Kundan Singh lodged a police complaint, alleging that a few gunmen fired at his house in the Noapara constituency around Saturday midnight.
Based on the CCTV footage, the two accused were apprehended, a senior officer said.
BJP's Noapara candidate Arjun Singh, in a post on social media, claimed that around 12.05 am, two armed miscreants arrived on a motorcycle at the residence of Kundan Singh, a BJP functionary and secretary of the Barrackpore organisational district, with an "intent to kill him".
According to the BJP leader, the accused are residents of Garulia and are known criminals.
Their names as offenders had been submitted to the Election Commission, he said.
The police officer did not specify whether the two arrested persons were the same individuals named by Arjun Singh.
According to the complaint, one round of firing took place outside Kundan Singh's house, triggering panic in the area.
The BJP candidate also questioned the role of the police, claiming that one of the accused had been detained by the police on the polling day but was later released in the evening.
The Noapara assembly seat went to the polls on April 29.
Several BJP leaders alleged that attempts were being made to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the counting and weaken the organisation of the opposition parties.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Polling for the West Bengal assembly elections was held on April 23 and April 29.
The BJP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately to ensure peaceful counting.
TMC candidate Somnath Shyam rubbished Arjun Singh’s allegation, claiming that the BJP nominee had orchestrated the firing incident to divert attention from imminent defeat.
“Arjun Singh knows all the gangsters in the Barrackpore belt. Everyone knows about his links with the underworld. Let the police investigate the incident,” Shyam said.
