Deepak Bhatta, who remains in judicial custody pending trial in various cases, including money laundering and banking offenses, has been transferred to Sindhupalchowk Prison.
Bhatta was transferred to Sindhupalchowk Prison from Nakkhu Prison on Saturday.
The Department of Prison Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Nakkhu Prison Office have not disclosed the reason for his transfer.
Nakkhu Jailer Dirgha Raj Upadhyay said that Bhatta was transferred as needed.
“He was transferred from here to Sindhupalchowk as needed. He was taken to Sindhupalchowk on Saturday itself,” he said.
According to sources at Nakkhu Prison, Bhatta had been meeting only a limited number of people there.
He had not been meeting anyone other than his lawyers and family members. Prison sources said that he had refused to meet anyone else who sought to visit him.
Prison authorities transfer inmates from one prison to another for three main reasons.
According to sources at the Department of Prison Management, the first reason is a security threat. If there are security concerns, the relevant authorities can transfer an inmate from one location to another.
The second reason is lack of space. However, prisons in Nepal are generally overcrowded and house more inmates than their designated capacity.
The third is a request by the inmate themselves to be transferred to another prison.
Although these are the three recognized reasons for transfers, it remains unclear which specific reason applies in Bhatta’s case.
Meanwhile, Bhatta’s father, Chaturbhuj, has filed a habeas corpus petition at the Supreme Court.
On September 24, a bench headed by Justice Meghraj Pokharel ordered the Special Court, Nepal Police Headquarters, and the Central Investigation Bureau to submit written responses within three days.
Bhatta faces charges related to money laundering, violations of the Insurance Act, banking offenses, securities-related offenses, and violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. The Central Investigation Bureau and the Department of Money Laundering Investigation have filed separate cases against him.
Separate cases against him have been filed at the Special Court, the Patan High Court, and the Kathmandu District Court.
