Bank accounts of accused in Muzaffarpur shelter home case frozen

The Bihar government has cancelled the registration of Brajesh Thakur’s NGO, which ran the infamous shelter home in Muzaffarpur where 34 girls were allegedly raped over a period of time.

Besides, the sale of the NGO’s assets was banned and the bank accounts were frozen, an official said on Friday.

According to Muzaffarpur District Registration Officer Sanjay Kumar, the orders to freeze the bank accounts and ban the sale or purchase of any movable or immovable assets of the Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti were passed by District Magistrate Mohammad Sohail on August 7 and 8.

The DM’s orders had followed an August 6 missive from the state registration department, wherein it was stated that the NGO’s registration was being cancelled as it was blacklisted by the social welfare department for the alleged sexual abuse of inmates at the shelter home.

Henceforth, there should be no transaction through the bank accounts of the Seva Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti nor should there be any sale or purchase of movable or immovable assets in its name, Kumar said, adding that the office-bearers and members of the NGO were also restrained from carrying out any activity in its name.

Interestingly, Thakur’s name does not figure among the list of office-bearers and members of the NGO.

The non-governmental organisation had, in its registration document, stated that it aimed to promote education and development of women and children as well as the protection of their lives.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights teams separately met the DM in connection with the shelter home scandal.

The CBI team is also understood to have taken into its possession the medical test report of Thakur, the key accused in the sex-scandal case, whose remand it may seek from the court if he is declared fit enough.

The three-member NCPCR team is said to have inquired with the DM about the well-being of the former inmates of the shelter home who have been shifted to Madhubani, Patna and Mokama.

Thakur has been lodged in a Muzaffarpur jail for over two months now. Currently, he is in the jail hospital.

Meanwhile, political parties continued to use the horrific Muzaffarpur episode to attack their rivals.

While women supporters of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal took out a procession in Patna on Friday demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, another procession was taken out by the workers of the ruling Janata Dal-United, demanding the resignation of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as the leader of opposition in the state assembly.

Former Union minister Kanti Singh, who took part in the RJD procession, alleged that Kumar had all along tried to shield those involved in the scandal, while claiming that a CBI inquiry in the matter was ordered under opposition pressure.

She also said Social Welfare Minister Manju Verma resigned only after Thakur’s phone call details showed his links with her husband.

Asked who should become the chief minister if Kumar resigned, she said there should be fresh elections.

The JD-U supporters said Yadav had no moral right to hold the position of leader of opposition because of his association with certain people accused of sexual crimes.