PATNA: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials probing the sexual abuse of minor girls at the shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur have hit upon evidence suggesting that the husband of former social welfare minister Manju Verma had links with Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the case.
Despite Verma, who was forced to resign from her post on Wednesday, claiming that her husband, former MLC Chandeshwar Verma, is innocent, sources said CBI officials have learnt that he and Thakur spoke over phone several times and that Chandeshwar Verma also visited Muzaffarpur at least nine times.
“Examination of the phone call details and mobile phone tower locations show that the ex-minister’s husband visited Muzaffarpur nine times between January and May this year. He spent hours in the town during each of these visits,” said a source familiar with the ongoing probe.
Since both Manju Verma and her husband belong to Begusarai and have little to do with Muzaffarpur, his frequent visits to Muzaffarpur and his telephonic conversations with Thakur have reportedly led CBI officials to believe that Chandeshwar Verma had a role in the scandal. It was alleged that Thakur’s friendly relations with the Vermas were the reason behind the horrific sexual abuse of the minor girls remained undercover for a long time.
Police sources said Chandeshwar Verma’s photographs were not among those that were shown to the inmates of the shelter home during the probe before an FIR was lodged in May.
The ongoing probe by CBI is currently focused on mainly two aspects – identifying all those people who allegedly sexually exploited the minor girls and Thakur’s links with the influential people that helped his NGO continue getting funds and keep the abuses concealed.
Thakur has already admitted before the media that he had had telephonic talks with Chandeshwar Verma, but he has denied that these conversations were related to the shelter home of minor girls. Sources said CBI will take Thakur into custody for interrogation shortly.
Meanwhile, the Muzaffarpur district administration on Friday put a ban on sale of any properties belonging to Thakur and his NGOs. The move followed information that his son Rahul Anand had sold off 11 katthas of land in the heart of the town for the government-approved price of Rs 2 crore and pocketed far more money.