Muzaffarpur shelter case: ED attaches assets worth Rs 7.3 cr

New Delhi: The ED on Wednesday said it has attached assets worth Rs 7.30 crore, including 23 plots and three vehicles, belonging to Brajesh Thakur, the main accused in Bihar's Muzzafarpur shelter home case where minor inmate girls were allegedly raped and sexually assaulted.

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 Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.

The ED had filed a PMLA case in this context 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.