KATHMANDU, May 4: The police have arrested two individuals for allegedly defrauding around Rs 30 million by operating Niyoni Education Consultancy in Putalisadak, Kathmandu, using someone else’s citizenship without authorization and cheating individuals with promises of sending them to Japan on work visas. 

The arrested suspects have been identified as Rajan Shrestha, 35 originally from Likhu, Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-7 in Ramechhap but currently residing in Bistagaun, Kageshwori, Manohara Municipality-7 in Kathmandu, and Ishwari Pandey, 46, currently residing in Bhainsepati, Lalitpur, and hailing from Gauradah Municipality-1 in Jhapa. 

The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office apprehended Shrestha from Pepsicola and Pandey from Anamnagar.

A complaint was lodged with the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) accusing the duo of swindling Rs 27.8 million from 219 individuals aspiring for foreign employment. The DoFE said that following the arrest of the suspects, the number of victims has reportedly increased.

The suspects obtained the citizenship documents of Narayan Bahadur Rai from Udayapur and Parbaraj Pandey from Bajura to establish the consultancy firm and allegedly defrauded approximately Rs 30 million. 

Rabindra Regmi, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, disclosed that the suspects lured victims by falsely claiming to facilitate work visas for Japan.

Investigations revealed that they utilized the customers’ citizenship to establish the educational consultancy and opened a bank account at Kamana Bikas Bank to collect funds.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, based on the details of those who came in contact with the police, the duo is believed to have swindled around Rs 30 million.

Police recovered various documents from the two suspects. Narayan Bahadur Rai's original citizenship has been recovered from Rajan Shrestha. An ATM card and a checkbook issued by Sanima Bank in the name of Narayan Bahadur Rai and also his visiting card as the Managing Director of Niyoni were recovered from Shrestha.

Similarly, Shrestha's original citizenship, checkbooks, five mobile phones, passport, educational certificates have also been seized. The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office has revealed that 11 passports belonging to different individuals, original citizenship of Parbaraj Pandey, a checkbook issued by Kamana Bikas Bank in the name of Parbaraj Pandey were recovered from Ishwari Pandey.

An arrest warrant has also been issued against Narayan Bahadur Rai from Udayapur in connection with the Rs 30 million fraud case. Rai had reportedly lost his wallet containing his citizenship while commuting from Bhaisepati to Narayansthan for work. Following the loss, he promptly applied for a duplicate copy.

After the arrest warrant was issued against Narayan Bahadur Rai who was working as a Pathao rider, the police called him and interrogated him.

After interrogating Rai, it was revealed that he was not directly involved in the fraudulent activities but that his citizenship certificates were misused. Earlier, Parbaraj Pandey of Bajura was arrested by the police and kept in custody for a day.

During the investigation, it was revealed that a bank account was opened misusing his citizenship and those going to Japan deposited money in the same bank account. Spokesperson Regmi said that the investigation moved forward upon uncovering the fact that Parbaraj Pandey had illicitly opened a bank account and deceived others using his lost citizenship certificate. Now, Rajan Shrestha, posing as Narayan Bahadur Rai, and Ishwari, assuming Parbaraj's identity, have been arrested in connection with the scam.

 
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