CPN-UML politburo member Mahesh Basnet has appeared before the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police and given his statement.
Basnet visited the Bureau in Bhotahiti on Wednesday morning to give his statement in a case under the Electronic Transactions Act. Superintendent of Police Deepak Raj Awasthi of the Bureau said that Basnet signed his statement regarding the allegations against him and left.
"He appeared this morning. We made him sign his statement as per the instructions of the government attorney. He has already left," he said.
Earlier, the police had even requested an arrest warrant for Basnet from the Kathmandu District Court. However, the court refused to issue the warrant. Basnet’s statement was recorded after the warrant was not issued.
The statement of any accused or defendant is typically taken at the government attorney's office under the supervision of the government attorney. However, the police record the statement at their own office.
A woman had accused Basnet of character assassination via social media and had initially filed a complaint at the Bureau. When the complaint was not registered there, it was sent to the District Government Attorney's Office, Kathmandu, by mail.
The District Government Attorney's Office had corresponded with the Cyber Bureau on September 21.
That letter had instructed the Cyber Bureau to conduct further investigation into whose name the “Mahesh Basnet Fan Club” was opened under and to submit its opinion.
