Patna: Police will ask for two days' remand of arrested Aasra Home treasurer Manisha Dayal and secretary Chirantan Kumar for further investigation following discovery of discrepancies in the duo's bank accounts.
Manisha and Chirantan were arrested on August 12 following the death of two residents of the shelter home for women with mental disabilities located in Rajiv Nagar. The two have been booked on charges of cheating and medical negligence under sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.
Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj said: "We have found irregularities in the bank accounts of Manisha and Chirantan. The investigating team has prepared a questionnaire for Manisha and Chirantan." The SSP said the financial experts probing the case will also interrogate the duo.
According to police sources, both Manisha and Chirantan had six accounts at different banks. The police have found that transactions of large sums of money were carried out in these accounts over the past few months.
Apart from running the NGO Anumaya Human Resources Foundation which ran the Aasra Home, Manisha and Chirantan also owned several other such non-government organisations. Police sources said that after April 2018, when Anumaya foundation received the contract for running the Aasra shelter home, they got Rs 28 lakh from the social welfare department, but there is no account of the fund expenses.
Police sources said they will probe if Manisha used government funds meant for Aasra to start other NGOs.
Police, the sources said, also believe that Manisha used her connections on Patna's social circuit to wangle the contract for Aasra Home. The sources added that Manisha developed her contacts by organising parties to which she would invite politicians and bureaucrats. She had organised a corporate cricket league, Sawan utsav and Teej festival which had been graced by Bihar's high and the mighty.
