The Kathmandu District Court has granted bail to 10 individuals accused of conducting fake rescues of tourists on mountaineering expeditions.
On Thursday, a bench led by Judge Jagat Bahadur Paudel issued the order to release the defendants.
The court sought a bail amount of Rs 3 million each from operator Mukti Pandey and manager Subash KC of Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt Ltd, operator Jayaram Rimal of Mountain Rescue Service Pvt Ltd, and operator Rabindra Adhikari Nepal Chartered Service Pvt Ltd.
It ordered Bibek Raj Thapaliya, manager of Nepal Chartered Service, to submit a bail of Rs 100,000.
Similarly, the court demanded Rs 500,000 in bail from Dr Girwan Raj Timilsina (chairman and medical director of Shreedhi Hospital), Bibek Pandey (manager of Mountain Rescue Service), Khemraj Adhikari (alias Santosh), Pasang Sherpa (shareholder of Panorama Himalayan Trekking and Expedition Pvt Ltd), and Sandip Tiwari (operator of Royal Holidays Adventure and Travel Company).
The District Government Attorney's Office, Kathmandu, had filed a case in the district court against 32 individuals on March 22, charging them with offenses against the state.
On January 25, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police received information that organized fraud was being committed by collecting insurance money for foreign tourists who came to Nepal for mountaineering. At that time, the CIB arrested six people.
Those arrested were operator Jayaram Rimal and manager Bibek Pandey of Mountain Rescue Service Pvt Ltd, operator Rabindra Adhikari and operation manager Bibek Raj Thapaliya of Nepal Charter Service, and operator Mukti Pandey and manager Subash KC of Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt Ltd.
They were accused of declaring tourists ill, conducting helicopter rescues, admitting them to hospitals, and claiming insurance in an organized manner.
Rajendra Bahadur Singh, former vice-chairman of the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal, and Sandip Tiwari, operator of Royal Holidays Adventure company, were also arrested later.
Similarly, on February 8, the CIB arrested Dr Girwan Raj Timilsina, chairman and medical director of Shreedhi Hospital.
