Process initiated to issue Interpol notice against former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba and Arzu Rana Deuba

Kathmandu. The process to issue an Interpol notice against former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, has been initiated. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation is preparing to request an Interpol notice through the Police Headquarters after obtaining arrest warrants from the court.

Notices from the international police organization (Interpol) are issued at the request of the National Central Bureau (NCB) located at the Police Headquarters.

The Department of Money Laundering Investigation is investigating former Prime Minister Deuba and his wife, former minister Dr. Rana, regarding the accumulation of illegal assets. Gajendra Thakur, Director General of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, told Ratopati that the issue concerning the couple is currently under investigation. He stated, 'All those matters are in the process of investigation.'

Director General Thakur denied that arrest warrants have been issued by the court against the Deuba couple. However, according to an official from the department, Judge Mahendra Bahadur Karki of the Kathmandu District Court has granted permission for their arrest. Following the issuance of the warrants, the department has requested travel details of the couple from the Department of Immigration.

According to immigration sources, Arzu traveled to India on 2082 Falgun 10, and Sher Bahadur Deuba traveled to Singapore on 2082 Falgun 13. The couple is currently in Hong Kong. It is reported that officials from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation obtained their travel records from the Department of Immigration a week ago.

Once travel abroad is confirmed, there is a legal provision to correspond with the Police Headquarters to issue an Interpol notice against them.

Various types of notices are issued by the Interpol General Secretariat at the request of the National Central Bureau (NCB). A diffusion notice is issued to locate an accused person in cases pending in court. A diffusion is an 'informative circular' issued when an arrest warrant has not been issued by the court. Accused persons are not arrested solely based on a diffusion issued by the Interpol General Secretariat.

Once an accused person on the wanted list is located via a diffusion, a Red Notice is issued for their arrest. In addition to Red Notices and diffusions, eight other types of notices are issued for criminal investigations. Such notices are issued by the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France, at the request of member organizations. Police organizations from 196 countries are members of Interpol.

Interpol issues Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Black, Yellow, and Purple notices. Red Notices are issued for accused persons involved in crimes punishable by more than two years of imprisonment. It has not yet been determined which notice will be issued in the case of the Deuba couple.