Himal Press 
Investigation report being taken to District Attorney's Office, Kathmandu.
KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu District Government’s Attorney’s Office has said that it would prosecute at least 32 individuals involved in the Bhutanese refugee scam.
The office on Monday received the police investigation report. The report was compiled after taking statements from the 16 individuals arrested during the course of the investigation into the scam.
Achyut Mani Neupane, joint attorney at the Kathmandu District Government Attorney’s Office, stated that charge sheets will be filed against the accused individuals at the Kathmandu District Court by Wednesday. “Since the arrested individuals are under remand until Wednesday, we will proceed with prosecution by that time,” he added. “The final decision on who to prosecute and the specific charges to be filed will be made after a careful review of the investigation report.”
According to the police, the scam involved a network of at least 32 individuals who defrauded hundreds of people, promising them resettlement in the United States as Bhutanese refugees, and swindling millions of rupees in the process.
Among those arrested for investigation into the case are former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Secretary at the Office of the Deputy President Tek Narayan Pandey, former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal’s security advisor Dr. Indrajit Rai, Khand’s personal secretary Narendra KC, Bhutanese refugee leader Teknath Rijal, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sagar Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Sandeep Rayamajhi, Ram Sharan KC, and Govinda Chaudhary. Former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s son Pratik and Dr. Rai’s son Niraj, among others, are currently on the run.
The police initiated the investigation into the case with the arrest of three individuals on March 26.
The racket managed to obtain the report submitted by a taskforce led by Balkrishna Panthi and allegedly added the names of hundreds of Nepali people to the list of refugees awaiting resettlement or registration and collected up to Rs 5 million from each.
