Bhutanese refugee leader Teknath Rijal arrested

KATHMANDU: Bhutanese refugee leader Teknath Rijal has been arrested by the police as part of an investigation into the Bhutanese refugee scam.

Rijal was arrested in Jhapa, according to the Kathmandu District Police Range. Police sources say that Rijal’s arrest was based on statements provided by individuals currently in custody for investigation into the case.

Rijal has been residing in Nepal since he was pardoned by the Bhutanese King in 1999 after languishing in Bhutanese jail for more than a decade. He had recently been advocating for the management of over 6,000 Bhutanese refugees in temporary camps located in the Morang and Jhapa districts.

With Rijal’s arrest, the total number of individuals taken into custody for investigation into the Bhutanese refugee scam has reached 16.