Victims of Morang Gold Shop Fraud Struggle for Justice Amid Official Inaction

Biratnagar. More than 250 victims of the Shubhalaxmi Adhikari gold and silver shop, located in Ramailo Bazaar, Kanepokhari-6, Morang, now hold a crucial document: the full details of nine land plots registered under the owner's family name. However, despite identifying the source of assets, the victims remain uncertain about how to recover their hard-earned savings.

The victims possess a written agreement, facilitated by Ward Chairman Khadga Bahadur Basnet of Kanepokhari-6, in which Batuladevi Adhikari committed to repaying debts from her assets. Yet, no process to sell the land has begun, and state authorities have failed to provide concrete assistance.

Desperate for justice, victims visited the Pathari Area Police Office on Tuesday. However, police refused to register a fraud complaint, citing a 'lack of sufficient evidence.' Victim Bishnu Giri stated that the police refusal has left them further demoralized. DSP Tulsiram Aryal, chief of the Pathari Area Police Office, has deflected responsibility by citing legal evidentiary gaps.

Beyond the police, the Judicial Committee of Kanepokhari Rural Municipality has also failed to provide a clear response. Despite petitions filed months ago, the committee has neither offered a path to resolution nor clarified its jurisdiction to the victims.

Bhola Adhikari, the Vice-Chair of the municipality and coordinator of the Judicial Committee, admitted that while they have held discussions, they have been unable to provide a solution.

According to the details obtained by the victims, Batuladevi Adhikari owns nine plots of land in areas including Bayarban and Itahari. Under the agreement facilitated by the ward office, these assets should be used to refund the savings. However, the victims are divided on how to lead this process. Taking advantage of this dispute and legal ambiguity, the absconding operator, Manoj Adhikari, and his family are attempting to evade accountability.

This fraud scheme began nearly 20 years ago. Under the guise of a jewelry shop, the Adhikari family illegally collected savings from the public. Lured by interest rates higher than those offered by banks, laborers, the elderly, and families of migrant workers deposited their life savings.

The tragic extent of this fraud is exemplified by 83-year-old Chakra Bahadur Gurung. Hoping to recover his 900,000 rupees, Gurung spent his days waiting in front of the shuttered shop until he eventually passed away without receiving justice. Many other victims are now suffering from depression and severe financial hardship.

Operator Manoj Adhikari is rarely seen and offers no solutions. His father, Homnath Adhikari, is in the United States. Victims claim that the family has funneled millions of rupees abroad. Batuladevi and her daughter-in-law, Smita Adhikari, who remain at home, continue to stall. With state agencies—the police, courts, and the municipality—passing the buck, hundreds of families in Ramailo Bazaar have been left in despair.

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