Patna: The CBI interrogated former social welfare minister Damodar Rawat at an isolated place in his native Jamui district in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case on Saturday.

Rawat is the second former minister to be questioned by the CBI in the case. On Friday, a CBI team had interrogated Kumari Manju Verma, who recently resigned from the post of the social welfare minister, at her official residence in Patna. Her in-laws' house in Begusarai was among the 12 locations raided by the CBI in the case on Friday.

Sources in the CBI said on Sunday that Rawat, who was the social welfare minister during the first term of the NDA government in Bihar, was interrogated by the CBI officials for over five hours. The interrogators had prepared a questionnaire on the basis of files seized from the social welfare department recently. Initially, according to sources, Rawat dodged the questions. The interrogators showed him certain files of the department, which were approved by him as minister.

Sources said Swadhar Grih, a shelter home run by Wama Shakti Vahini for destitute women, was allowed work in Muzaffarpur during the period. Rawat, however, said he was in no way associated with Brajesh. "How my name is being dragged into the controversy is subject to investigation," he added.

Swadhar Grih was later provided central funds based on the assessment of their previous work. Madhu Kumari, who was closely associated with Brajesh Thakur, the alleged mastermind behind the sexual exploitation and torture case, happened to be the director of the non-profit organisation.

Sources said Brajesh had helped Madhu bag contracts for her non-profit organisation Wama Shakti Vahini using his "cordial relations" with then minister Rawat. A journalist, who was earlier posted in Muzaffarpur, had reportedly introduced Brajesh, the owner of a Hindi daily - Pratah Kamal - to Rawat.

Swadhar Grih hogged the limelight after 11 women and their four children mysteriously disappeared from the shelter home located at Pakkisarai Chowk in Muzaffarpur when the Balika Grih scandal surfaced on May 31. Later, one of them was traced and sent to jail.

Though the Centre had stopped providing funds to the Swadhar Grih, the inmates were found staying there during inspection done by a team on March 20.

On June 6, all the women and their children were missing and the shelter home was closed. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged with the women's police station. Inspector of police Vinod Kumar, who was posted with the anti-human trafficking cell of the Muzaffarpur police, was suspended for negligence of duty.