Fake Bhutanese refugee scam: Jha's case gets new order, Teknarayan's postponed

Kathmandu, January 26 — The Supreme Court heard the case on Sunday involving two individuals accused of fraudulently helping Nepalese citizens migrate to the U.S. under the guise of Bhutanese refugees.

The two accused, suspended secretary Teknarayan Pandey and Bechan Jha, are currently in custody based on Kathmandu District Court order.

The cases of both accused were scheduled for separate hearings in different benches at the Supreme Court.

Pandey’s case was set before the single bench of Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut, while Jha’s case was to be heard by the bench of Justices Saranga Subedi and Nityananda Pandey.

However, the Supreme Court could not proceed with Pandey's case, as it had already been discussed earlier in the same bench.

In Jha's case, the court ordered to obtain the necessary files for further proceedings.

Pandey had approached the Supreme Court after the district court initially sent him to custody. He contested the decision and challenged the lower court’s order.

Similarly, Jha, who had been absent during the initial investigation, was arrested from India and later brought to Kathmandu. He, too, contested his detention by the district court, and after his appeal was rejected by the higher court, he moved the Supreme Court seeking release.

The case involves high-profile individuals, including former ministers Balkrishna Khand and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who are named as defendants in the main charge sheet.