CPN-UML has suspended party secretary and lawmaker Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who has been absconding after an arrest warrant was issued for him in the fake Bhutanese refugees scam.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel informed that Rayamajhi has been suspended as party secretary.
The Kathmandu District Court had issued an arrest warrant for Rayamajhi over his alleged involvement in the fake Bhutanese refugees scam last Wednesday.
Rayamajhi was attending an event in Arghakhanchi when the arrest warrant was issued for him.
He had said that he would return to Kathmandu and help the police with their investigation. He had also said that he would contact the police and present himself in person at the District Police Range, Kathmandu, but he has been on the run since then.
The District Police Range, Kathmandu, has issued a circular across the country for his arrest.
A team of Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has also been searching for him since Saturday as police suspect he may have fled to Lucknow, India. But his whereabouts are still unknown.
Police also searched Rayamajhi’s residence in Satdobato of Lalitpur on Tuesday.
Former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa's son Prateek has also been absconding since an arrest warrant was issued for him in the case.
Police have so far arrested 12 people in connection with the scam that swindled tens of millions from Nepalis with the promise of sending them to America as Bhutanese refugees.
Those arrested are Rayamajhi’s son Sandeep, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tek Narayan Pandey, Indrajit Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Sagar Rai, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Ram Sharan KC, Govinda Chaudhary, Nepali Congress leader and former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, and Khand's personal secretary Narendra KC.
Ram Sharan KC and Govinda Chaudhary were arrested on Tuesday while Khand and his personal secretary were arrested from Khand's residence in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning.
