ED Files Complaint Against Brajesh Thakur for Laundering Funds Received by Shelter Home

The ED on Wednesday filed a prosecution complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against Brajesh Thakur, who is undergoing life sentence in Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case, and his family members and others at PMLA special court here. The Enforcement Directorate 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 life sentence after a Delhi court in February, 2020 sentenced him “rigorous imprisonment till the remainder of his life” and imposed a fine of Rs 32.20 lakh on him in shelter home case. The matter had come to light on May 26, 2018 after Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted a report to the Bihar government highlighting the alleged sexual abuse of girls in the shelter home for the first time.

The ED initiated an investigation under the provisions of PMLA on the basis of two FIRs lodged by Mahila Police Station, Muzaffarpur and one FIR was lodged by CBI, SCB, Patna against Brajesh Thakur and others under various sections of IPC for misappropriating the 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. Thakur in connivance with others misappropriated the fund/grant-in-aid to the tune of Rs 7.57 crore and invested the same in his own name as well as in the name of his family members – Kumari Asha, 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.

Brajesh Thakur and others diverted/siphoned off the funds/grant-in-aid received for the welfare of girl children and others and used the funds for his personal gain by acquiring huge movable and immovable properties in his name and in the name of his family members, ED said in its complaint. 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.

Accordingly, prosecution complaint before the Special Court for the PMLA, Patna has been filed.