Lila Ballabh Adhikari, a member of the Koshi Provincial Assembly from CPN-UML who is linked to a human trafficking case, has been arrested.
Adhikari is being brought to Kathmandu following his arrest in Biratnagar on Sunday.
"He has been arrested, we are bringing him to Kathmandu," said a police source.
He is being brought to Kathmandu on a Yeti Air flight at 1:45 PM.
The UML secretariat meeting on Saturday endorsed the UML Koshi province committee's action against Adhikari stripping him even of the party’s general membership.
The Koshi province committee, citing serious questions raised against Adhikari, had decided to relieve him of all party responsibilities and even party membership until those questions were legally resolved.
According to UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali, the secretariat meeting said that the government would conduct an objective, factual, serious investigation into the allegations against Adhikari and expressed commitment that the party would fully cooperate with it.
Adhikari is accused of trying to smuggle people into Japan illegally by abusing his position.
Adhikari had flown to Japan without seeking permission from the Koshi Cabinet and the federal government.
But the incident came to light after Japan’s immigration deported Adhikari and three others -- 36-year-old Dawa Sherpa of Khotang, Janak Rai of Khotang, and 22-year-old Kanchan Devkota of Rasuwa -- who had traveled to Japan with him.
Adhikari resigned from his post on moral grounds after his deportation.
The three people deported by Japan are now in police custody. Police have also arrested Jugal Rijal, Bir Bahadur Sunuwar and Mahesh Pandey on the same charges based on their statements.
The arrested have told the police that they had paid Rs 1 and 1.3 million to go to Japan.
The police also recovered fake identity cards of the ministry from two of the deportees. The identity cards bear the signature of the then minister Lila Ballabh Adhikari as acting office chief.
