Patna: Manisha Dayal, 45, the arrested treasurer of Aasra - a shelter home where two inmates died under mysterious circumstances on Friday night - was considered the queen bee of Patna's social circuit.
Manisha and the shelter home's secretary Chirantan Kumar were arrested on Sunday night following the death of the two women inmates: Poonam Bharti (17) and Babli (41).
Patna zonal IG N.H. Khan said on Monday: "The police have taken Manisha and secretary Chirantan Kumar on remand for further interrogation. We will try to gather information about her contacts in social echelons."
Till two years ago, Manisha used to work for an NGO, but since then her connections with politicians, bureaucrats and powerful people in Patna helped her to run the shelter home for mentally challenged and physically challenged girls and women under the aegis of the social welfare department.
She got the responsibility in April this year, which saw her getting Rs 78 lakh for a year to run the Aasra Home. Her Facebook account, which was active till Monday afternoon, sports pictures of her with politicians from both ruling party and Opposition camps.
Among the pictures that Manisha had uploaded on her social media site are those of JDU MLA Shyam Rajak, PHED minister and BJP MLA Vinod Narayan Jha, RJD leader and former minister Shiv Chandra Ram and with several bureaucrats. A few months ago she had invited JDU MLA Rajak for the launch of a T-shirt promoting a corporate cricket tournament.
Defending himself, Rajak said: "We have social obligations and I had gone to the function as a public representative. But I don't know her personally."
Manisha also happens to be the saali (sister-in-law) of senior RJD leader and former minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui.
Siddiqui, who is considered close to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and is a stalwart minority leader in the state, accepted that Manisha was a relative, but told The Telegraph: "I have not met her even once in the last 15 years."
Manisha was often seen attending various social functions held in the state capital and sources said that she had tried her luck in modelling. Though she did not become successful in becoming a professional, she later used to organise modelling contests in Patna and frequent the social circuit.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior police officer said: "It was through her contacts in the corridors of power and bureaucracy that she received the contract to run Aasra Home. The government, for running such a shelter home, gives Rs 78 lakh per annum and we have come to know that she had received a huge part of the money."
Her social media account reveals that she owns several NGOs, including Anumaya Human Resources Foundation, under which the Aasra Home was being run.
On Friday morning, when the case of the alleged escape attempt by four inmates of the shelter home came to light, she appeared composed while answering media queries. "I have informed the police and officials from the social welfare department" was all she said.
However, on Sunday, when news of the death of the two inmates from Aasra became public, she complained of chest pain to avoid coming in front of the police. The tactics did not work and she was arrested on Sunday night.
