ED files prosecution complaint against Brajesh Thakur, others under PMLA
Mukesh Ranjan
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 27
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it had filed a prosecution complain in a special PMLA court in Patna against Brajesh Thakur, the convict in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case, and his family members in connection with charges of money laundering.
In its prosecution complaint (equivalent to a charge sheet), officials said, the ED had made a prayer before a Special Judge (PMLA), Patna, for awarding punishment to Thakur for committing an offence of money laundering and confiscation of the attached assets worth Rs 8.3 crore in the form of movable and immovable properties in his name and in the name of his family members and others.
Thakur is currently serving a life sentence after a Delhi court in February, 2020 sentenced him to ‘rigorous imprisonment till the remainder of his life’ and imposed a fine of Rs 32.20 lakh on him in the shelter home case.
The case came to light on May 26, 2018 after Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) submitted a report to the Bihar Government highlighting the alleged sexual abuse of girls at the shelter home in Muzaffarpur.
The ED took up the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following two FIRs – first by Mahila Police Station, Muzaffarpur, and another by the CBI – against Brajesh Thakur and others under various sections of the IPC.
The ED’s case pertained to misappropriation funds and grant-in-aid received from the state government and other agencies in the name of NGO Sewa Sankalp Ewam Vikas Samiti and its sister NGOs.
The ED in its complaint, charged Thakur, his family members and others of diverting/siphoning off the funds/grant-in-aid received for the welfare of girl children and others and used them for his personal gain by acquiring huge movable and immovable properties in his name and in the name of his family members.
Accordingly, two provisional attachment orders were issued as per which properties worth Rs 7.3 crore were provisionally attached and confirmed, while another provisional attachment order was issued for an amount of Rs 1.47 crore.
