Fake Bhutanese Refugee Case Hearing Concludes, Verdict Expected

Kathmandu. The hearing in the case of the fake Bhutanese refugee scam has concluded. The hearing, which began on Jestha 27 in the bench of Justice Tej Bahadur Khadka, concluded today. With the conclusion of the hearing, preparations are underway to deliver the verdict today itself.

The case, involving the collection of large sums of money by creating fake Bhutanese refugees out of Nepali citizens and sending them to countries like America, had been stalled for a long time without a hearing. From Jestha 27, the court prioritized this case and conducted the hearing.

On Jestha 10, 2080, a case was filed in the Kathmandu District Court against former Deputy Prime Minister and UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Home Minister and Congress leader Balkrishna Khand, then Home Secretary Teknarayan Pandey, former MP Ang Tawa Sherpa, and former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa's security advisor Indrajit Rai, along with 30 others, on charges of forgery, fraud, organized crime, and crimes against the state. The charge sheet claims that Nepali citizens were made Bhutanese refugees through the plan of an organized gang by preparing documents.

In this case, key middlemen Keshav Dulal, his wife Deepa Humagain, another middleman Sanu Bhandari and Sandesh Sharma, as well as those working within the gang's network, namely Tankakumar Gurung, Mohanraj Rai, Niranjan kumar Kharel, Keshav Tuladhar, middleman Haribhakta Maharjan, his wife Laxmi Maharjan, Rajesh Aryal, Binita Sabden Limbu, Sagar Rai, Ashish Budhathoki, Sunil Budhathoki, Ramsharan KC, Ashok Pokharel, Govindakumar Chaudhary, Dhiren Rai, Bechan Jha, and Bhutanese refugee leader Teknath Rizal, were also charged with the same offenses.