KATHMANDU, Dec 13: Police have issued an arrest warrant against former finance state minister Roop Jyoti on a complaint that he had swindled a customer in a housing project.
Metropolitan Police Range Teku last week issued an arrest warrant against the vice chairman of the Jyoti Group, a renowned business group in Nepal, after receiving a fraud complaint filed by Bikendra Krishna Malla.
Malla complained that he had paid a total of Rs 27.6 million in different installments for a house at Basbari, Budhanilakantha to Landmark Developers Private Limited but no house had been provided. The company was established by Jyoti.
'Arrest warrant against Padma Jyoti an inappropriate move'
The housing project was developed by CE Construction Private Limited.
Spokesperson of Nepal Police Uttam Raj Subedi confirmed that the arrest warrant has been issued against Jyoti but they are awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Jyoti.
Jyoti filed the writ petition against the arrest warrant immediately after it was issued by police. According to police, Malla and Jyoti had previously agreed to resolve the dispute but Malla later backed away.
Talking to Republica, Jyoti informed that he is neither the direct owner of the company nor its manager. “I hear that the arrest warrant has been issued against me probably as a ploy to get me and all my family arrested,” he added.
Jyoti also clarified that Malla was already informed soon after he paid the booking fee of Rs 1 million that the house could not be provided to him, and the money has already been deposited in Malla's bank account.
Jyoti also said Malla has declined to go and receive the remaining money from CE Construction, which has repeatedly asked him to come to its office and receive it.
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.
