CNI, FNCCI oppose Arun Chaudhary’s arrest

KATHMANDU: The business community has opposed the arrest of industrialist Arun Chaudhary for an investigation into illegally registering government land as private property.

Speaking at a press meet in Kathmandu on Thursday evening, Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) President Rajesh Kumar Agrawal warned that the government’s act of hassling businesspeople on the eve of the Nepal Investment Summit could create an exodus of businesspeople from the country. He also said incidents like this won’t attract foreign investments in the country.

“The government is hassling businesspeople as it prepares for the Nepal Investment Summit. Such incidents could spur the exodus of local businesspeople, let alone attract foreign investments,” he added. “We object to the decision to arrest Chaudhary without giving prior information.”

Businesspeople said it is wrong to arrest businesspeople without prior information like a criminal in cases dating back decades.

“Nobody should be arrested until they are proven guilty,” said former CNI President Vishnu Kumar Agrawal.

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) also said the government’s act of first arresting and investigating the case has discouraged the private sector. “FNCCI urges the government to first complete investigation and arrest if found guilty,” FNCCI said in a statement issued on Thursday.