ED registers money laundering case in Muzaffarpur shelter home case

Patna, October 17: As the horrendous Muzzafarpur shelter home case came into limelight, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Muzaffarpur shelter home case.

 

The shelter home rapes had come to light earlier this year when the Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences, in its report of social audit conducted of shelter homes across the state, cited complaints of sexual abuse by inmates of the care unit for minor girls in Muzaffarpur.

A complaint was filed by the state social welfare department thereafter and police arrested 10 people, including Brajesh Thakur in this connection. The Bihar government had handed over the probe to the CBI in July. The social welfare minister Manju Verma also stepped down shortly afterwards following allegations that her husband Chandrashekhar Verma had close links with Thakur.

ED will probe if illegal funds were generated and laundered by the alleged criminal activity. Over 30 girls were allegedly raped at the shelter home, run by Thakur, chief of the state-funded NGO. An FIR was lodged on 31st May against 11 people, including Thakur. The probe was later taken over by the CBI.