Brajesh Thakur's relative remanded to 3 days CBI custody

A Muzaffarpur court Wednesday sent a relative of Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the shelter home sex scandal, to three days CBI custody.

Ramanuj, the maternal uncle of Thakur, was arrested by the CBI on Tuesday night in the adjoining district of Samastipur and produced before Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 court here.

Special POCSO judge R P Tiwari accepted the CBI's plea for Ramanuj's custody and granted the same for three days.

This is the first time that a close relative of Thakur has been arrested in connection with the scandal that came to light when sexual abuse of inmates at the shelter home located in Sahu Road locality here was flagged by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences in a social audit report.

The shelter home was run by an NGO headed by Thakur, who was arrested in June soon after lodging of an FIR in this connection by the police. The investigation was handed over to the CBI in July following a huge outcry.

JD(U) MLA Manju Verma also stepped down after reports alleged that her husband maintained close ties with Thakur.