Patna, Aug 17 (IANS): The CBI on Friday raided 12 places in Bihar, including former Minister Manju Verma's residence, in connection with its probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape cases, an official said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation team conducted searches at Verma's residence in Patna and Begusarai.

They interrogated the former Social Welfare Minister and her husband Chandeshwar Verma separately.

"The CBI has been conducting searches at Verma's residence since early Friday morning. It is still underway. The CBI also quizzed one of Verma's personal assistants," a police official said.

Manju Verma resigned on August 8 following allegations that Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the case, had links with her husband.

The CBI has also raided Thakur's Hindi newspaper office in Patna and also the property of councillor of Social Welfare Department Sunil Kumar Jha.

In Muzzafarpur, the CBI raided seven places including Thakur's hotel and his house in his native village. Raids were also conducted at the places of Thakur's man Friday Suman Sahi and close confidant Madhu.

According to official sources here, the CBI teams have recovered several evidences related to the case.

Arrested on June 2, Thakur is currently lodged in Muzaffarpur jail.

Of the 42 girls lodged at the short-stay home run by an NGO of Thakur, 34 minor girls were found to have been sexually assaulted. The crime came to light after a social audit by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

The shelter home has been sealed.