Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth ₹ 7.3 crore of prime accused Brajesh Thakur and his family in child sexual abuse case perpetrated over years in girls’ shelter home (Balika Grih) at Muzzaffarpur, Bihar.

In a press note, ED said that 26 plots of land worth ₹6.35 crore, 3 vehicles worth ₹28.7 lakhs, balance in 37 bank accounts worth ₹48.77 lakhs and investments in mutual funds and insurance policies worth ₹17.27 lakhs, totalling to about ₹7.30 crores, of Thakur, who is the owner of NGO Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti and his family members have been attached.

ED said that Thakur was the de-facto owner of the Balika Grih run by the NGO in which abandoned girl children were given shelter. Kumari Asha, wife of Thakur is the Executive Member of the NGO Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti. Huge funds were received by this NGO from the government and other sources which were meant to be spent on welfare of girl children and others.

ED investigations revealed that funds received by the NGO were not utilised for welfare of the children. It has also been revealed that the funds received by the NGO were illegally diverted or siphoned off for acquisition of properties and personal use by Thakur and his family members.

“Documents gathered during investigation revealed that donation from other sources or grant-in-aid from government have been received to the tune of ₹7.57 crore during the financial years from 2011-12 to 2016-17,” the press note said.

Investigation revealed that the accused and his family members have illegally misappropriated these funds for acquisition of huge immovable and movable assets in their names . This is evident from the fact that funds to the tune of ₹1.53 crore have been transferred from the bank accounts of Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti to the bank accounts of Brajesh Thakur and his family members for acquisition of huge movable and Immovable properties and also for payment of fees for medical education of Mehul Anand, son of Thakur.

Further, there are also huge cash deposits in the bank accounts of Brajesh Thakur and his family members for which Brajesh Thakur and his family members could not give any explanation.

Investigation under Prevention of Money Laundering Act was initiated on the basis of Chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the local police. “The Chargesheets revealed that the girls children shelter home in Muzaffarpur run by ‘Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti’ was found to be running in a highly questionable manner and several girls reported about violence sexual abuse, the press note said.

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