The Kathmandu District Court has finished recording statements of 18 persons arrested in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugees scam.
The court recorded statements of Nepali Congress leader and former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, exiled Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal and Hari Bhakta Maharjan on Friday.
Kathmandu District Court Spokesperson Deepak Dahal informed that the court has completed recording statements of 18 of the 30 defendants in the case and that bail hearing will begin from Sunday.
The court will decide whether to conduct hearings in the case keeping the accused in judicial custody, or release them on bail or normal date after the bail hearing.
Police had arrested 17 people in connection with the scam while Hari Bhakta Maharjan appeared in court on Thursday.
The District Government Attorney’s Office (DGAO), Kathmandu, has filed five cases against 30 defendants including former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, former home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and exiled Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal in the fake Bhutanese refugees scam.
The DGAO has filed cases of fraud, forgery, offense against the state, organized crime and integrated offense against them on the basis of the report submitted by police.
Police had investigated the accused for offense against the state, fraud and organized crime.
Police had produced 16 people arrested in the scam along with their investigation report. They had named 14 others as absconding defendants in the case. Laxmi Maharjan, 32, of Lalitpur was arrested after that and produced before the court while her husband Hari Bhakta appeared in court on Thursday.
Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Sandesh Gurung, Sagar Rai, Tek Narayan Pandey, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and his son Sandeep, Indrajit Rai, Bal Krishna Khand and his personal secretary Narendra KC, Ang Tawa Sherpa, Ram Sharan KC, Govinda Chaudhary, Shamsher Miya, Tek Nath Rizal, Laxmi Maharjan and Hari Bhakta Maharjan have been arrested in connection with the scam so far.
Arrest warrants were also issued for former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s son Prateek, Indrajit Rai’s son Niraj and others, but they are still absconding.
