A case has been filed against aviation expert Rajendra Bahadur Singh for attempting to destroy evidence during the ongoing investigation into the fake rescue scam.
The District Government Attorney's Office, Kathmandu, filed the case at the Kathmandu District Court on Tuesday.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) began investigating the scam after it was revealed that tourists on mountaineering expeditions were falsely reported as sick to claim fraudulent insurance payouts.
Evidence surfaced showing that Singh was actively working to destroy evidence that could jeopardize the investigation. Consequently, the CIB arrested him on February 25.
Singh is the managing director of Mountain Helicopters Pvt Ltd, where former additional inspector general Bigyan Raj Sharma serves as chairman. He is also a former vice-president of the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN).
The CIB had recommended filing charges against 33 individuals in the fake rescue case. However, on March 22, the District Government Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu, filed a case against only 32 people, deciding not to prosecute Singh.
According to a source, the office provided no specific reason for the exemption, simply stating it was "not necessary to prosecute” Singh.
The source claims that this decision led to the transfer of the then office head and Joint Attorney Ramhari Sharma Kafle.
A new government was formed after the House of Representatives election held on March 5. According to the source, the case was reopened and charges were filed after Attorney General Narayan Datta Kandel issued a directive to prosecute Singh as well.
Ishwori Prasad Dhakal, joint attorney of the High Government Attorney's Office, Patan, overturned the previous decision to not prosecute Singh.
“The prosecution moved forward based on the CIB’s investigation and a case has been filed now,” the source said.
Singh now faces charges of organized crime in collusion with a criminal group and offenses against national interest.
What evidence exists against Singh?
The charges against Singh involve concealing facts and evidence, and attempting to influence the CIB investigation.
Police have obtained an audio recording of a secret conversation and agreement between Singh and Shyam Sundar Kadel, operator of Swacon International Hospital.
The investigation revealed that Singh attempted to manipulate flight data and destroy evidence to avoid detection.
The CIB had requested flight details from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The audio reveals Singh claiming he had already spoken to CAAN’s Acting Director General, Dev Chandra Lal Karna, instructing him to remove the word "rescue" from records and label all flights as "chartered flights." It also reveals an agreement to reply to the CIB that “rescue data does not exist.”
“After this conversation surfaced, we summoned Director General Karna and recorded his statement. We questioned him for about four hours,” said a CIB source. “He cooperated with the investigation."
As revealed by the audio recording, the CIB did not receive data of helicopter companies apart from Altitude Airlines Pvt Ltd.
“He played a role in hiding data by asking helicopter companies to deny the existence of separate records of rescue operations and show all flights as chartered flights,” the source said.
Singh is accused of attempting to evade accountability by destroying and tampering with evidence, obstructing investigative authorities by providing false information, not providing actual data to official bodies, and exerting influence over the regulatory body.
He is also accused of directing the alteration of actual flight records.
10 accused out on bail
Earlier, on April 2, a bench of Judge Jagat Bahadur Paudel of the Kathmandu District Court ordered the release of 10 accused on bail.
Following the order, 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 were released on a bail of Rs 3 million each.
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) were released after posting bail of Rs 500,000 each.
The court ordered the release of Bibek Raj Thapaliya, manager of Nepal Chartered Service, on a bail of Rs 100,000.
