MP Ashika Tamang's Name Involved in Multi-Crore Fraud and Blackmail Case

Biratnagar. The name of MP Ashika Tamang has also been entangled in a multi-crore rupee transaction and fraud dispute between Kushma Budhathoki, who is in America, and Jivan Prasad Baskota of Jhapa.

Accused of defrauding crores by getting close to the family under the pretext of treating his sick (cancer-stricken) father, Damar Bahadur Budhathoki, and later stealing checkbooks from home and 'bouncing' checks in the names of Baskota and MP Tamang, thereby 'blackmailing' them, the victim family has sought refuge with the police.

After the Kathmandu police delayed in registering the complaint, the victim family approached the National Human Rights Commission. According to the victim Kushma Budhathoki, the police assured them that the complaint would be registered on Monday.

Kushma's mother Min Kumari and sister Sumana Budhathoki had gone to the Kathmandu Police Range with a complaint of fraud and forgery after receiving threats of being jailed for bouncing fake checks worth over one and a half crore and arresting her daughter in America through 'Interpol'.

However, the police refused to accept their complaint. 'When we went to file the complaint, the police discouraged us by asking irrelevant questions. They refused to register our complaint, stating that MP Ashika Tamang's name was also involved and a complaint had been filed from that side as well,' said Kushma's sister Sumana.

Kushma Budhathoki, who is in America, said that after the police closed the door to justice, they filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission. She stated that the police became hesitant only after the Human Rights Commission directed the police to register and investigate the citizen's complaint. Kushma said, 'Only after the matter reached the commission did the police ask us to come and register the complaint on Monday. We are hoping the case will be registered on Monday.'

According to the victim family, the incident occurred in 2077 BS. Kushma's father Damar Bahadur Budhathoki was critically ill with cancer. It was then that Jivan Prasad Baskota, claiming to be a senior employee (CEO level) of 'Nepal Life Insurance Company', came into contact with the family. 'He convinced us by saying he would arrange insurance, and if anything happened to the father, the mother would receive a good amount of money,' said Sumana. 'After that, he took 25 lakh rupees in cash from us.' She added that the family even sold gold worth 15 lakh rupees to raise that amount.

Kushma said that immediately after the check bounced in Ashika Tamang's name, a person named Dilip Upreti came forward as a mediator and started threatening the family.

Damarbahadur passed away on Poush 7, 2077 BS. After that, Baskota started visiting their house regularly, citing the need to do the insurance 'paperwork'. During that time, the family sold land in Sarlahi and handed over an additional 30 lakh rupees to Baskota. Later, Kushma was made to take a share mortgage loan from Sanima Bank, and out of the sanctioned 42 lakh, 30.5 lakh rupees were directly transferred to Baskota's account via RTGS. The Budhathoki family claims that Baskota defrauded them of a total of 2 crore 8 lakh rupees over various periods.

After Kushma went to America, her account in Sanima Bank was inactive, but suddenly she received an email notification of two checks bouncing. The first check was for 1 crore 85 lakh rupees in the name of Jivan Prasad Baskota (dated 2026). A few days later, another check from the same checkbook was bounced in the name of Ashika Tamang (currently a Member of Parliament) for 1 crore 35 lakh rupees, dated Jestha 24, 2083 BS.

'There was never such a large transaction in that account. Baskota stole that checkbook when he visited our house,' Kushma claimed. 'While I was in America, the check was forged with a signature here in Nepal and bounced. How did another page from that stolen checkbook end up in the hands of MP Ashika Tamang? This is a matter for investigation.'

'I have no acquaintance, collusion, or connection with Ashika Tamang. My issue and hers are entirely separate,' Baskota said.

Kushma said that immediately after the check bounced in Ashika Tamang's name, a person named Dilip Upreti came forward as a mediator and started threatening the family. 'He came saying he was Ashika Tamang's joint secretary. He threatened that if the money was not paid, Ashika would have me arrested from America through CIB and Interpol and ruin my life,' she said.

Meanwhile, addressing the serious allegations against him, the accused Jivan Prasad Baskota claimed that all allegations of fraud, check theft, and blackmail are false. 'This is purely a matter of personal transaction. I have had many transactions with her. It's not right to create a media buzz now,' Baskota said. 'The bank has not said the signature is mismatched; it bounced due to insufficient funds in the account. They have also filed a complaint with the police. The police are probably looking into it. Why say more about this?'

When asked how MP Ashika Tamang's name got involved in this incident, Baskota retorted. 'I have no acquaintance, collusion, or connection with Ashika Tamang. My issue and hers are entirely separate,' Baskota said. 'She might have had separate dealings with Ashika. That's something they would know. I have not threatened anyone by taking Ashika's name or claiming to have influence.' He also claimed that he did not take any money by posing as an insurance agent.