According to investigative officials, a file of transactions worth NRs 18,900,000 with Chinese traders was uncovered from his laptop which was seized in a raid at his rented residence in Gongabu on Sunday. [break]
“The file shows transactions under a header ´Chinese traders´,” said SP Ramesh Kharel, chief of Metropolitan Police Circle Kathmandu, adding that it has reinforced suspicion that Kham had operated a ring to smuggle yarsagumba inside Nepal and to China.
Meanwhile, the police on Wednesday blocked Kham´s bank accounts and verified that the Santro car (Na 1 Cha 8736) reportedly used by Kham had the number plate of another vehicle -- a Mahindra jeep owned by a private company.
Besides writing to block an Everest Bank account (00100501200131), the police also corresponded to the Nepal Rastra Bank to block Kham´s bank accounts throughout the country.
Same measures were applied to the remaining five accused -- Ganesh Malla, Milan Pratap Sen, Lal Bahadur Sen, Madhu Sudan Sharma and Ashok Khati -- who allegedly connived with Kham to rob the three Chinese traders.
Kham, who had been absconding after being accused of murdering businessman Ram Hari Shrestha two years ago, had allegedly masterminded robbery of the Chinese traders -- Mukhum Dukh, 40, Mamani, 33, and Mamali, 43 on Friday evening.
According to a complaint lodged by Mukhum Dukh, he and his business colleagues were robbed of Rs 2,620,000 by Kham´s men at a guest-house where they were called on the pretext of striking a deal on yarsagumba purchase.
The police had first held Kham´s subordinates and then identified him as the ringleader based on the latter´s statements. The subsequent raid at his residence uncovered illegally possessed yarsagumba, NRs 500,000, ammunitions, and fake seals, among others.
Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma on Tuesday told myrepublica.com that the party could not do anything against him as he has long been out of contact.
Interestingly, Kham on Tuesday gave a telephonic interview to myrepublica.com and defended himself. He claimed that he had been politically targeted, and said he would cooperate with the government if there is a fair investigation.
Kham was inducted into the party´s central committee in January, 2009 while he was indicted and warranted in connection with Shrestha´s murder in October, 2008.
He was transferred from the PLA´s Third Division at Shaktikhor, Chitwan, to the Fifth Division based at Dahaban in Rolpa last year. As a close aide of Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Kham held a good sway in the party´s financial as well as military matters, sources said.
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