Muzaffarpur rapes: CBI questions JD(U) leader Damodar Rawat for 5 hours

The name of another influential leader has come out in the case of Muzaffarpur Shelter home case in Bihar.

The CBI questioned Bihar's former minister and JD(U leader Damodar Rawat for five hours. Rawat was the state welfare minister of the state from April 2008 to 2010. It has also been revealed that Damodar Rawat has helped Brajesh Thakur, while he was the state welfare minister. The CBI has expedite the investigation in the matter.

Officials had prepared a questionnaire on the basis of documents procured from the social welfare department. According to some news reports, Rawat dodged the questions. Officials also showed him certain files of the department, which were approved Damodar Rawat was in the ministry.

Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav questioned the morality of Nitish led government and asked when he is expelling his colleague for 10 years. On Monday morning, he tweeted, “Nitish Ji, When you are expelling your cabinet colleague for 10 years and Vice-President of JDU in connection with Brajesh Thakur? If his son has been suspended then why he is spared? What relation ur party JDU shares main culprit of #MuzaffarpurShelterHome? Where is morality?”

In the last two days, apart from conducting raid on 12 places in 4 districts, CBI had question two former ministers Manju Verma and Damodar Rawat and over a dozen other people. Among them include Manju's husband Chandrashekhar Verma, Brajesh's sister Archana Anupam and other names. In this case the CBI can also interrogate many officers.

On the other hand, the police have registered a case under the Arms Act against former Minister of Bihar Manju Verma and her husband. While investigating this case, the CBI had dug 12 locations including Manu Sharma's house situated in Patna. In this raid on August 17, weapons and 50 cartridges were recovered from Manju Verma's house.

Damodar Rawat on Sunday had stated that neither him nor his son were involved in the Muzaffarpur case and he had full confidence in the CBI inquiry. He said that CBI investigation will bring out the truth in the matter

Opposition RJD and Congress on Saturday had demanded resignation of another Bihar minister over his alleged involvement in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape cases.

Without naming the minister, leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday demanded Chief Minister Nitsh Kumar sack the minister, a BJP MLA from Muzaffarpur. Yadav held out threat that he would "expose" the minister's involvement in the case.

"If Nitish Kumar and (Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader) Sushil Modi do not sack him, we will be forced to expose and reveal his involvement like what we did in the case of Verma," said Tejashwi.

The RJD leader alleged the minister had close links with jailed main accused Brajesh Thakur.

Congress spokesperson Premchand Mishra said Sharma should resign on his own or Nitish Kumar should force him to quit. "We will intensify our protest for his resignation," said Mishra.

However, ruling JD(U) spokesperson Ajai Alok rejected the resignation demand, saying that the CBI is probing the case. "There is no need for the minister's resignation. If he is found guilty in the CBI probe, he would be sent to jail," said Alok.

With inputs from IANS