Bhutanese refugee scam: Haj committee chair Shamsher Miyan arrested

KATHMANDU: Police have arrested Shamsher Miyan, the president of the Central Haj Committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs, as part of their investigation into the Bhutanese refugee scam.

Miyan was apprehended on Thursday from the meeting hall of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation.

Police detained Miyan after discovering that the car belonging to the Central Haj Committee, which he used, was reportedly used to collect money from fraudulent refugees by members of the racket. Miyan has been leading the Central Haj Committee for the past five years. He is reportedly close to Deputy Prime Minister and UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who was arrested for investigation on Sunday.

Miyan is the 15th person to be arrested in connection with the scam. Earlier, the police arrested Deputy Prime Minister 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, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sagar Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Sandeep Rayamajhi, Ram Sharan KC, and Govinda Chaudhary.

They have been accused of swindling tens of millions of rupees from hundreds of Nepalis, promising them resettlement in the US as Bhutanese refugees.