Charge sheet filed against former Bihar minister, her husband

Kumari Manju was charged under the Arms Act four months ago following recovery of illegal bore 50 ammunition from her residences in Patna and Begusarai during CBI raids conducted as part of Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case.

Begusarai Police on Thursday filed a charge sheet against former Bihar social welfare minister Kumari Manju Verma and her husband Chandrasekhar Verma in an Arms Act case. The charge sheet was submitted before the court of additional chief judicial magistrate, Manjhaul.

An arrest warrant was also issued against Manju Verma, but she was not arrested despite the Supreme Court’s lashing out at the Bihar government for failing to locate the former minister. (File)

Kumari Manju, a suspended JD (U) MLA, had surrendered before a Muzaffarpur court on November 20 last year.

Kumari Manju was charged under the Arms Act four months ago following recovery of illegal bore 50 ammunition from her residences in Patna and Begusarai during CBI raids conducted as part of Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case.

An arrest warrant was also issued against her, but she was not arrested despite the Supreme Court’s lashing out at the Bihar government for failing to locate the former minister.

The former minister came under the radar of probe officials in July this year, soon after her husband’s links emerged with Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case. She had to resign as the minister from the Nitish Kumar Cabinet on August 8.

On October 25, the apex court asked the state government and the CBI to explain why there was a delay in tracing the whereabouts of Chandrasekhar. Later, he surrendered before the Manjhaul court on October 29.

Additional public prosecutor Shailendra Kumar said that the ACJM court will be take cognizance, following filing of the charge sheet and that the case would be referred for a trial in district and session court.

Kumari Manju’s bail plea had been turned down by ACJM Prabhat Trivedi December 4. Last week, while appearing before the court, the MLA had alleged that she was being “harassed” on account of being a woman and belonging to the Kushwaha caste –considered to be a weaker section of the society.

The district and session judge court of Begusarai, Diwan Abdul Aziz Khan, will hear her regular bail petition on December 22. The court has already sought a case diary from the investigating officer.