Patna: Fugitive former minister Manju Verma wanted by the police in connection with the infamous child care home sex scandal surrendered before a local court in Bihar on Tuesday. She was taken into custody and sent to jail after her health check-up.

Verma, who earlier served as the social welfare minister in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar, reached the court in an auto-rickshaw covering her face with a veil and surrendered before the local sub-divisional court at Manjhual in Bengusarai district.

Her surrender had become a certainty after the police launched extensive raids for her arrest in various parts of the country and then also confiscated her property earlier this week. The ruling Janata Dal United (JD-U) led by chief minister Kumar too suspended her from the party as her “free run” continued causing much embarrassment to the party leadership.

The former minister came under the radar of the probing officials shortly after her husband Chandrashekhar Verma was found having close links with jailed Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the Muzaffarpur-based care home sex scandal. At least 34 girls were allegedly raped at the care home being run by an NGO headed by jailed Thakur. The case is currently being invested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The surrender follows extensive raids by the police to nab the fugitive former minister in the aftermath of the Supreme Court passing strong remarks against the state government for failing to trace the absconding former minister. Last week, India’s top court had asked the state’s two topmost officials to explain why the former minister Verma, linked to the shelter home sex abuse cases, and against whom an arrest warrant has been issued, is yet to be traced.

“Fantastic... ex-cabinet minister is not traceable... You (Bihar government) will have to explain...How is it that no one knows where the ex-minister is?” the top court had said, while asking Bihar police chief to be present in court on November 27 and explain, if Manju Verma is not traceable by then.

On November 1, the Bihar police had issued a non-bailable warrant against Verma after the Supreme Court hauled up the Bihar government on three successive days asking “why wasn’t she arrested, is the former minister above the law, and is something wrong with the Bihar government?”

The warrant, against the former minister, was issued for a case under the Arms Act. In August, the police had raided Verma in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes and seized 50 live cartridges from one of her houses.

Verma had resigned as the Social Welfare Minister of Bihar in August after her husband, Chandrashekhar Verma, came under fire for allegedly visiting the Muzaffarpur shelter home several times. Her husband, a close aide of the key accused Thakur too has surrendered in the court and sent to jail.

The sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) to the state’s social welfare department in April. The first case was filed on May 31 against 11 people, including Brajesh Thakur.

Yet another woman related to the care home sex scandal, Madhu Kumari too surrendered before the court on Tuesday. Reports said the woman reached the CBI office in the company of her lawyers and surrendered before them. The CBI is interrogating the woman.

Police said the accused persons surrendered before the court under pressures from the police. However, the opposition parties attacked the state government for failing to arrest them. As such, none of the above three key accused persons could be arrested by the police.