Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Police have arrested Dev Kumar Nepali, the mayor of Dhorpatan Municipality of Baglung, at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Nepali, who was the chairperson of Image Savings and Credit Cooperative of Baglung, had been on the run after misappropriating savings in the cooperative. Nepal Police issued a red notice to Interpol for the arrest of Nepali.
A total of 1,573 depositors have filed complaints against Nepali at the District Police Office, Baglung. Along with Mayor Nepali, his wife Chhela Nepali is also facing charges of misappropriating cooperative funds. The first case against the couple was registered on June 6, 2023.
“We have arrested Dhorpatan Mayor Nepali for an investigation into misappropriation of cooperative savings. The process of handing him over to the District Police Office, Baglung, has already begun,” SP Hobindra Bogati, the spokesperson for the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police. “Dev Kumar’s brother, Om Prakash, who has also been accused of misusing cooperative deposits, was also arrested.”
Police have reported that the total amount misappropriated by Nepali stands at Rs 1.38 billion.
