Muzaffarpur shelter home: ED takes possession of assets of Brajesh Thakur's family

A multi-storey building was attached by the central agency last year and this provisional order has been approved both by the Adjudicating Authority of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Appellate Tribunal between January and February this year.

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken possession of a Rs 1.45 crore worth Delhi-based property belonging to the wife of Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case, and a fixed deposit in a money laundering case against them.

The property, in the name of Thakur's wife Asha, is located in the Raj Nagar-I area of Palam Colony and the ED took its possession on Tuesday. In the same case, the agency also confiscated a fixed deposit of Rs 2.07 lakh that was in the name of Aadarsh Mahila Shilp Kala Kendra.

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The ED had filed a criminal case of money laundering against Thakur, his family members and others in October 2018 after reports of sexual abuse of minor girls at the shelter house run by Thakur's NGO -- Sewa Sankalp Ewan Vikas Samiti -- in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district came to light.

The agency said its probe found that the "shelter home was found to be running in a highly questionable manner and several girls reported about violence and being abused sexually."

"Accused Brajesh Thakur, who had overall control of running the shelter home with other members of the 'balika grih' raped girls and perpetrated the crime of sexual abuse, sexual assault, physical assault on deprived and abandoned girls," the ED said.

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"Thakur and others diverted and siphoned off the funds/grants-in-aid (of about Rs 7.57 crore) received for the welfare of girl children and others and used the funds for their gain by acquiring huge movable and immovable properties in his (Thakur's) name and the name of his family members," the ED said.

The agency had filed a charge sheet, before a special PMLA court in Patna, on money laundering charges against Thakur, his wife and family members Rahul Anand, Manorama Devi and others for acquiring huge movable and immovable properties including payment of fees for his younger son Mehul Anand's medical education.

PTI

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