ED takes possession of Bihar shelter home case accused Brajesh Thakur’s property worth ₹1.45 crore
The ED accused Thakur of funds received as grants from the government and other agencies in the name of an NGO which is managed by him.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday took possession of immovable property worth ₹1.45 crore belonging to Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in Muzzafarpur (in Bihar) shelter home abuse case. The property is under the name of his wife Asha and located in Delhi's Palam area, the ED said.
The shelter home was being run by NGO Seva Sankalp Evam Vikash Samiti, managed by Thakur.
The ED accused Thakur of "misappropritating" funds received as grants from the government and other agencies in the name of the NGO. Grants-in-aid to the tune of ₹7.57 crore was siphoned off by Thakur and invested the same in his own name as well as in the name of his family members, the agency further said.
The ED said that Thakur also spent money on his younger son Mehul Anand’s medical education.
"During money laundering investigation, it was revealed that the girls' shelter home in Muzaffarpur was found to be running in a highly questionable manner and several girls reported about violence and being abused sexually," the ED said, adding that Thakur raped the girls.
The case pertains to sexual exploitation of 44 girls at the shelter home. The social welfare department had given a contract to the NGO to run the shelter home in Muzaffarpur town in 2013.
Thakur’s NGO was selected over other NGOs in the bid as he was said to have close connections with senior politicians of the ruling party and some bureaucrats. Medical tests had found that as many as 34 of the 44 girls lodged at the government-funded-shelter home were sexually assaulted.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed chargesheet in 2018 against 21 accused, including Thakur.
The ED attached properties worth ₹7.3 crore and ₹1.47 crore in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
