Police are still making arrests in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugees scam even as the deadline for filing the case draws closer.
There are only five days left for the case to be taken to the Kathmandu District Court as police had started their investigation after arresting Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari and Tanka Kumar Gurung in connection with the scam on March 26.
Police are investigating the case under organized crime, which gives them 60 days to keep the accused in custody for investigation before the case is filed in court.
Police arrested two more people in connection with the scam on Thursday itself. The arrested are Shamsher Miya, president of Nepal Hajj Committee under the Home Ministry, and exiled pro-democracy Bhutanese leader Tek Nath Rizal.
With their arrest, the number of people in police custody has reached 16. Police have finished taking statements of all but Miya and Rizal. Their statements are likely to be taken on Friday.
Superintendent of Police Sitaram Rijal informed that police are currently questioning them at the District Police Range, Kathmandu. He said that statements of both will be taken on Friday as far as possible.
Earlier this week, police arrested CPN-UML lawmaker and former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi on Sunday and former Nepali Congress lawmaker Angtawa Sherpa on Monday.
Though the police arrested four people this week alone, some of the accused have yet to be arrested.
Former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s son Prateek and Indrajit Rai’s son Niraj are still on the run.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Karki, chief of District Police Range, Kathmandu, also said that some accused are still absconding. He said that it is not yet certain when they will submit the investigation report.
“We will submit the report after preparations are completed within the given time,” Karki said. “You will know when it’s time to submit.”
Though the police are investigating the case under fraud and organized crime, the case appears likely to attract other offenses too.
Karki said that they will submit the report including suggestions on the offenses the accused can be charged with.
The District Government Attorney’s Office (DGAO) has been asking the police to submit their investigation report soon citing lack of time. It had earlier directed the police to submit the report by Wednesday but the investigation was protracted as the police arrested more people and needed additional time for questioning and taking statements.
Joint Attorney Achyut Mani Neupane, chief of DGAO, Kathmandu, said that he had no information regarding when the police will hand over the report.
“They will probably bring those arrested recently for statement today. But they haven’t informed,” Neupane said. “We had told them to submit the report some days ago. But now we’ll study and take the case once they bring it.”
He said that they will know what offenses the case will attract only after studying the report.
Neupane said that the DGAO will work even on Saturday as there is not much time left.
The DGAO has formed an eight-member team headed by Neupane to study the case.
“There are 30-32 government attorneys here. We have formed a team of eight for this,” he said.
Police have so far arrested Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Gurung, Sagar Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and his son Sandeep, Indrajit Rai, Tek Narayan Pandey, Bal Krishna Khand and his personal secretary Narendra KC, Angtawa Sherpa, Ram Sharan KC, Govinda Chaudhary, Shamsher Miya and Tek Nath Rizal in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugees scam.
Victims of the scam had filed a complaint at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office on June 1, 2022, but investigation could not take place.
Inspector General of Police Basanta Bahadur Kunwar was then chief of the office as senior superintendent of police when the complaint was filed. Janak Bhattarai replaced Kunwar shortly after as the latter was promoted to deputy inspector general. Investigation did not take place during Bhattarai’s tenure.
It was Senior Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar KC who opened an investigation into the scam. The District Police Range, Kathmandu, is currently investigating the case.
