Evidence shows involvement of more VIPs in fake refugee case

Kathmandu: Police have started a thorough investigation into the available documents and the statement of the persons who are accused of defrauding Nepalis on the pretext of sending them to the United States.

An audio tape was released on Sunday that features money transaction in connection with the case.Some of the accused have given statements about the payment of money. As such statement are not sufficient, additional documents and evidence are being collected to prove them, police said.

The accused persons Keshav Dulal, Sagar Rai of Morang, Sanu Bhandari of Lalitpur and Kumar Gurung of Panchthar have told the police that high-ranking officials were also directly and indirectly involved in the case.

Following the arrest of Sandesh Sharma of Dang, police searched the house of Sanu Bhandari of Lalitpur and found a diary that recorded money transactions in the case. The diary also features the names of former ministers, high-ranking officials and the details of money transaction.

Some of the evidences are easily verifiable and some need additional evidence for verification, police added.

The District Court of Kathmandu has granted seven more days to the police custody of former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the racket that duped Nepali citizens by promising to send them to the UNITED States as fake Bhutanese refugees.

Pandey was arrested from Sanga of Bhaktapur on Wednesday evening. Initially, permission was taken to keep him in custody for three days. Currently serving as secretary at the Office of the Vice President, he was the Home Secretary a few years ago.

Police have arrested and received statement from Indrajit Rai, security advisor to the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Sandeep Rayamajhi, son of former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi.

Likewise, following the arrest warrant against CPN(UML) secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Badal's son Prateek Thapa and Indrajit Rai's son Niraj Rai, police have started the manhunt.

Dan Bahadur Karki, chief of The District Police Range, Kathmandu, said that the investigation is underway, and evidence was being collected against the accused persons.

Police have intensified the search operation after Top Bahadur Rayamajhi lost contact while returning to Kathmandu from his home district Arghakhanchi.

Similarly, it has been revealed that Indrajit Rai took money from the gang on the pretext of convincing the then Home Minister and Home Secretary.