Accused Rayamajhi and Khand reach District Court for custodial hearing

KATHMANDU, June 4: Top leaders and others arrested in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam have been brought to the Kathmandu District Court for extension of their custody. The court reserves the right to decide on whether to remand them in custody or not.

CPN-UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Nepali Congress leader Bal Krishna Khand and 18 others arrested in this case were brought by the police to the district court for further hearing.

Recording statements of those arrested on the charge of being involved in sending Nepalis as fake Bhutanese refugees to America ended on Friday. The court will take a decision on whether to send them to judicial custody or not after a closed-door debate in front of the bench of District Court Judge Prem Prasad Neupane.

As the recording of statements was completed on Friday, the lawyers of the plaintiffs have demanded their release while the government attorneys have asked for some more time to study the statements.

Initially, the government attorney and legal professionals of the whistleblower will demand that the accused be kept in custody. Only then the lawyers of the plaintiffs will defend the accused. After hearing the arguments of both the sides, the bench will decide whether to keep them in judicial custody, ask for bail or release them on a normal date.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, then Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Tek Narayan Pandey, the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa's security advisor Indrajit Rai, Bhutanese refugee leaders Tek Nath Rijal, Keshav Dulal and Sanu Bhandari, along with 18 others, were questioned by Kathmandu District Court Judge Prem Prasad Neupane in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, 

The District Government Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu filed four cases against 30 people, including the 18 arrested and others who are absconding, accusing them of organized crime, racketeering, fraud and treason. The case was filed at the Kathmandu District Court on May 20 demanding the recovery of Rs 275 million embezzled by the group.