Police Arrest Another Individual in Connection with Fake Tourist Rescue Scheme

Kathmandu. Police have arrested another person on charges of conducting fake rescues in the mountaineering and trekking sectors. The arrested individual is 38-year-old Santosh Adhikari, also known as Khomraj Adhikari, a resident of Dhwakot Municipality-14, Dhading. AIG Dr. Manoj KC of the CIB informed Ratopati that he was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport.

He was arrested on Saturday while returning from Malaysia, and after interrogation, he was presented before the court. The Kathmandu District Government Attorney's Office has filed a case in court, naming 32 individuals as defendants for the crime of claiming illegal insurance money through fake tourist rescues. The statements of the accused are scheduled to begin in the Kathmandu District Court on Monday.

The CIB investigation concluded that 33 individuals were involved in the fake rescues that occurred since 2022. However, Deputy Attorney General Ram Hari Kafle of the Kathmandu District Government Attorney's Office has decided not to prosecute Rajendra Bahadur Singh among the accused.

Singh, who is also an aviation management expert, was allegedly involved in the fake rescue and had taught other accused how to evade prosecution, according to an audio recording submitted by the police along with the investigation report. Ten people have been arrested for profiting by claiming health insurance after conducting fake tourist rescues. An additional 22 individuals have been declared absconding defendants.