KATHMANDU, June 14: The lawyers of former home minister Bal Krishna Khand who has been implicated in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam and is currently in judicial custody for investigation, continued to put forward their arguments at the District Court Kathmandu on Wednesday as well. Khand’s lawyers started arguing in his favor on Tuesday which continues today as well.

The court’s Information Officer Deepak Dahal said that 10 legal practitioners argued on his behalf on Tuesday. On Tuesday, lawyers including Prem Bahadur Khadka, Pankaj Karna, Lakshmi Thapa Khadka, Yagyaraj Pokharel, Ajay Jha, Nrisingh Kumar Khatri and Maniram Upadhyaya debated on behalf of Khand.  According to Dahal, lawyers including Senior Advocate Raman Shrestha along with Khamma Khati, Gopi Krishna Ghimire and Surendra Mahato were supposed to argue on behalf of Khand today.  Advocate Shrestha began arguing in defense of Khand today. It is said that as there are many lawyers defending Khand, it took two days for them to put forward their arguments. 

After the government lawyers put forward their arguments against Khand at the bench of Judge Prem Prasad Neupane, the ex-home minister’s lawyers have been continuously arguing on his behalf. District Judge Neupane has planned to issue an order after the debate today. But since the debate has not yet been completed, there will be a delay in the detention order, said Information Officer Dahal.

In the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, after the police submitted the file with the study report to the district attorney, the District Government Attorney Office filed the charge-sheet at the Kathmandu District Court on May 24. After recording the statements of the accused was completed, the debate on whether to keep the accused in custody or free them started from June 4.

After three days of arguments by the government attorney and the complainants, the lawyers on behalf of the defendant are arguing. A case has been registered at the district court implicating 30 people in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. The case was registered against them, demanding punishment, accusing them of fraud, organized crime, forgery, and treason.

The public prosecutor has also demanded that the accused be made to pay Rs 280.81 million. According to the police, 18 of the accused have been arrested while 12 are still absconding.

 
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