The Janata Dal United has finally suspended former social welfare minister Kumari Manju Verma, an absconding accused in an Arms Act case linked to the Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes case that the Central Bureau of Investigation is probing.

Manju, who represents Cheria Bariarpur Assembly seat in Begusarai district, was suspended from the party on Wednesday night, Janata Dal United (JDU) spokesperson Ajay Alok said on Thursday.

A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Manju by Begusarai additional chief judicial magistrate Prabhat Trivedi on October 31, and the Supreme Court has more recently lambasted the state government over the police’s failure to trace Manju.

Asked about the delay in action against Manju, Ajay said: “The meeting of the disciplinary committee of the party couldn’t be held due to Diwali and Chhath. That is why the action was delayed. Last night, the disciplinary committee recommended action against her.”

JDU state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh, however, claimed that the decision to suspend Manju from the party was taken at a meeting on November 10.

Manju’s husband Chandeshwar Prasad Verma, who is a co-accused in the Arms Act case lodged with the Cheria Bariyarpur police station in Begusarai district, around 125km east of Patna, is already lodged in Begusarai divisional jail.

He had surrendered before Manjhaul sub-divisional court in Begusarai on October 29.

On Wednesday, the special investigation team (SIT) led by Manjhaul sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Suryadev Kumar carried out raids to hunt for Manju in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Nalanda and Patna districts, in vain.

The SDPO claimed the police have intensified the raids to trace Manju.

“We have also sought the assistance of our counterparts in different districts where she is suspected to have taken shelter,” Suryadev told The Telegraph over phone on Thursday.

He said the investigating officer of the case, Ranjeet Kumar Rajak, has moved the court seeking order of attachment of property of the former minister. The couple have an ancestral property at Arjun Tola under the jurisdiction of Cheria Bariyarpur police station.

A police officer said the court is likely to issue by Friday the order to attach her property.

The case was lodged against the couple by a deputy superintendent of police-rank officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation after the seizure of 50 live cartridges of different calibre, including a few of prohibited bore, from the couple’s house.

Chandeshwar’s name had cropped up in the investigation into the shelter home rapes when it was revealed that he had allegedly been in touch over phone with Brajesh Thakur, the proprietor of the NGO that ran the Muzaffarpur Balika Grih where underage girls were raped. Manju had as minister resigned after the revelation.