Patna: ‘Wily’ Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case, managed to make his family members a part of the tainted NGO’s governing body. That same NGO, Seva Sankalp Evam Vikash Samiti, ran the ‘horror’ home where 34 minors were subjected to sexual abuse.
The state government chose Thakur's NGO to run government-sponsored shelter home in October 2013, which received Rs 36 lakh per annum, till the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) report blew the lid off the scandal which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said had shamed the state.
To get the received money into government fund, Thakur flouted norms of the rule book and ensured that all key posts are with his family members. As the CBI, which is investigating the case, began coming down heavily on suspects, all the executive committee members went underground.
News18 has a copy of the association memorandum, where Thakur has furnished false details of executive committee members. Thakur's name appears nowhere on the list as he had declared himself as the patron of the NGO in one of the applications.
The most prominent position of Secretary, whose signature is required for all financial transactions, went to Brajesh Thakur's cousin Ramesh. News18 traced Ramesh Thakur, now on the radar of CBI, who feigned ignorance about anything and denied he ever signed on behalf of the NGO.
Out of seven members in the executive committee, four are Brajesh Thakur's close relatives. Thakur's brother-in-law Sanjay Kumar is mentioned as the NGO president, cousin Ramesh as secretary, maternal uncle Shivshankar Thakur as treasure and wife Asha Thakur as a member.
Interestingly, a column required to declare whether any member or members are anyway related to each other, reads as 'NO'.
News18 tried to reach out to everyone on the list. Sanjay Kumar left his village in Rohua, Muzaffarpur, 10 days after the arrest of Brajesh Thakur and has been untraceable since then. However, the mobile number mentioned against Sanjay was that of Thakur himself.
However, News18 managed to trace NGO Secretary Ramesh Kumar who, on the conditions of not revealing his exact address, claimed that he has no relationship with the NGO.
"I left Muzaffarpur 10 years ago and presently working with a private company in NCR. I do not know how my name is being dragged. I never signed on any paper. I am an ordinary person," he pleaded.
During investigation, it emerged that treasurer Shiv Shankar was Thakur's maternal uncle. Interestingly, mobile number mentioned against him is registered in the name of Madhu Kumari alias Shahista Parveen, a mystery woman considered close to Brajesh Thakur and on the run. It was Madhu who used to carry out main activities at Balika Grih, located in Sahu Road area of Muzaffarpur.
The name of Asha Thakur, wife of Brajesh, is mentioned as a member who is a professor in a private college. However, she could not be reached for comments.
The CBI has ordered to freeze the accounts of executive committee members and barred them from selling any properties. However, taking advantage of technicalities, Thakur's son sold 11 Kathha of prime land in the heart of the city as neither he nor his son was in the executive committee.
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