Hearing Postponed in High-Profile Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam Case

Kathmandu. The hearing for the case against former ministers and high-ranking officials accused of defrauding Nepali citizens by posing them as fake Bhutanese refugees for resettlement in the United States has been postponed.

The hearing was scheduled before the bench of District Judge Ishwari Prasad Bhandari. However, it was adjourned following a request from the District Attorney's Office.

The charge sheet alleges that an organized criminal network created forged documents to misrepresent Nepali citizens as Bhutanese refugees. This marks the first time the District Court has scheduled a final hearing approximately two and a half years after the case was filed, which includes five charges, including organized crime.

On 2080 Jestha 10, cases were filed at the Kathmandu District Court against 30 individuals, including former Deputy Prime Minister and UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Home Minister and Congress leader Bal Krishna Khand, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, former lawmaker Ang Tawa Sherpa, and Indrajit Rai, security advisor to former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, on charges of forgery, fraud, organized crime, and crimes against the state.

The case also involves key intermediaries Keshav Dulal, his wife Deepa Humagain, Sanu Bhandari, Sandesh Sharma, and other network members including Tankakumar Gurung, Mohanraj Rai, Niranjan Kumar Kharel, Keshav Tuladhar, Hari Bhakta Maharjan, his wife Laxmi Maharjan, Rajesh Aryal, Binita Sawaden Limbu, Sagar Rai, Ashish Budhathoki, Sunil Budhathoki, Ramsharan KC, Ashok Pokharel, Govinda Kumar Chaudhary, Dhiren Rai, Bechan Jha, and Bhutanese refugee leader Teknath Rizal.

Of the 18 individuals arrested when the case was filed, two were released on bail while 16 were remanded in custody. Twelve suspects were at large. While some have since been apprehended, others remain fugitives.

Supplementary charge sheets were filed on 2081 Baishakh 9 against five individuals, including Keshav Dulal, and on 2081 Shrawan 29 against Bechan Jha. All three cases have been consolidated for proceedings.

The then-District Court Judge Prem Prasad Neupane had ordered the detention of the accused based on prima facie evidence. While some were later released on bail by the High Court, others remain in custody. The case did not receive priority in 2080 and 2081.

The case currently pending in District Court involves Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, his son Sandeep Rayamajhi, Bal Krishna Khand, former Hajj Committee Chairman Shamsher Miya, Khand's personal secretary Narendra KC, Tek Narayan Pandey, Ang Tawa Sherpa, Prateek Thapa (son of former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa), Indrajit Rai, and his son Niraj Rai.