KATHMANDU, Nov 9: Kathmandu District Court has remanded reputed businessman Roop Jyoti and his daughter Suruchi Jyoti to judicial custody for three days for alleged involvement in a housing scam in the capital.

In December last year, police had issued an arrest warrant following a complaint filed by a customer, accusing Jyoti of the scam. The complaint was filed by Bikendra Krishna Malla, who said that he did not get ownership for a house at Basbari despite having paid Rs 27.6 million for it in various installments.

According to police, Malla and Jyoti had agreed to resolve the dispute between themselves but Malla later backed away.

On Thursday, Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu arrested Jyoti from Tribhuvan International Airport at around 8 pm shortly after he returned from Singapore.

Kathmandu District Court had allowed police to arrest him. Subsequently, Jyoti had gone to the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to vacate the order. The SC later issued an interim ruling not to make any arrest.

Almost a year afterward, the apex court has vacated the interim order, paving the way for police to make the arrest and launch investigations.

The Jyoti Group of companies offers a diverse range of products and services, from core industries such as iron, steel and textile yarn to finance and travel-related services, according to a company profile. Jyoti served as deputy finance minister during the direct rule of then King Gyanendra in 2005.

Meanwhile, Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) has protested against the arrest of Jyoti who has contributed immensely to trade and industrialization in Nepal.

Issuing a press statement, NCC said it objects to the arrest of Jyoti and his daughter Suruchi solely on the basis of a complaint. “The decision to arrest Jyoti will discourage the private sector,” reads the statement.

 
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