Bihar abuse case: 23 plots of Thakur set to be attached

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse case, on Wednesday issued an order to attach assets worth Rs 7.30 crore, including 23 plots and three vehicles, belonging to Brajesh Thakur, prime accused in the case.

The agency said it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for the attachment of assets of Thakur, the owner of the centre and the NGO, Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti, that ran it.

“Immovable and movable properties consisting of 26 plots of land, three vehicles, bank balance in 37 accounts and investments in mutual funds and insurance policies, totalling to Rs 7.30 crore, have been attached. These assets belong to accused Brajesh Thakur and his family,” the ED said. The ED had filed a PMLA case in this regard in October last year.

The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai, to the state’s Social Welfare Department in April, 2018. An FIR was lodged in May 2018 against 11 people, including Thakur, the owner of the NGO which ran the government-funded shelter home for destitute girls. The probe was later taken over by the CBI. In all, the sexual abuse of 34 inmates out of 42 was confirmed in their medical examination.

Meanwhile, another central probe agency which is also investigating the case, CBI, is likely to register fresh cases against Thakur, and others as part of its investigation into the matter. The CBI recently told a Delhi court that charges of rape, kidnapping and causing hurt were made out against Thakur and that several victims had given testimonies against him. While commencing the arguments on framing of charges, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for CBI had recently informed a court that ‘statements of 33 victims have been recorded and most of them have testified against Thakur, besides revealing that he used to bring people from outside for raping the girls. To this, Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha said the charges cannot be clubbed together and directed the agency that for better understanding of the court, a table be made, listing out the date, place and details of the offence committed by every accused.