Nepal is now in turmoil as a result of the disclosure that top government officials were involved in a fraudulent scheme known as the “fake Bhutanese refugee scam.” This complex plan involves Nepalis impersonating Bhutanese refugees in order to influence the resettlement procedure in the United States. The disclosure of this deceptive company has not only jolted Nepal, but it has also cast light on a sophisticated network of corruption and dishonesty, involving prominent players in the country’s political scene. The Kathmandu District Court has made a significant advance in the ongoing inquiry into the fraudulent Bhutanese refugee scams
Several people have so far been detained in connection with the scheme. Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Sandesh Gurung, Sagar Rai, Tek Narayan Pandey, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and his son Sandeep, Indrajit Rai, Bal Krishna Khand, and Khand’s personal secretary, Narendra KC, are among those who have been detained. In connection with the aforementioned scam, authorities have also detained Ang Tawa Sherpa, Ram Sharan KC, Govinda Chaudhary, Shamsher Miya, Tek Nath Rizal, Laxmi Maharjan, and Hari Bhakta Maharjan.
On Friday, a single panel led by Judge Prem Prasad Neupane sentenced 16 people, including former ministers Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Bal Krishna Khand, to jail. The ruling was made following a two-week-long detailed detention hearing. This recent finding represents a step forward in the judicial process surrounding the case.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand were two of the 30 people who were the target of criminal charges brought by the Kathmandu district attorney’s office on May 24, 2023. They were accused of four different types of crimes, including organized crime that involved treason as well as fraud and forgery. These people were charged specifically with collecting a total of Rs 288.17 million from 115 victims, with payments varying from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4.8 million per victim. They allegedly promised to help these victims move to the US under the cover of Bhutanese refugees while making false promises to them. Notable individuals, including former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, former vice prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, and a leader of the Bhutanese refugee population, are among the accused parties.
The fraudulent scam takes advantage of the historical circumstances surrounding the Lhotshampa ethnic minority to exploit a genuine social concern. Bhutan forcibly removed the Lhotshampa in the 1990s, calling them “illegal immigrants” and “migrant workers,” despite their Nepalese origins. As a result, hundreds of displaced Bhutanese sought safety in Nepalese camps.
In 2006, the United States and many other nations, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom, agreed to grant Bhutanese refugees resettlement. More than 100,000 people had been relocated to various third countries by 2015, with the vast majority, almost 84,000, finding new homes in the United States. This coordinated relocation operation decreased the number of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal’s camps from 108,000 to 20,000.
All those who are currently in judicial custody have been moved to the Central Jail as a result of the Kathmandu Court’s ruling. They had previously been detained at the Teku Police Officer, Police Circle Durbar Marg, Singha Durbar, Kalimati Sorakhutte, in a police cell. All persons on the remand list for pre-trial custody, as per the court’s ruling, have been taken to jail after completing the requisite papers for the central prison, according to Kathmandu Police Chief SSP Dan Bahadur Karki.
UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamazhi’s membership in Parliament has been automatically suspended due to the Bhutanese refugee scandal. After the Kathmandu District Court decided to imprison him on Friday, this suspension became effective.
Lakshmi Maharjan and Tanka Gurung, two of the 18 people charged with taking part in the deception of smuggling Nepalese people into the United States as false Bhutanese refugees, have also been ordered by the court to be released on bond. Maharjan and Gurung both received bail from Judge Prem Prasad Neupane in the amounts of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively. Gurung, a native of Panchthar, is charged with actively collaborating in the refugee scam. Similarly, Maharjan is the wife of Haribhakta Maharjan, who has been ordered to be sent to jail for preliminary inquiry in connection with this case, and works as a nurse (naive inspector) at the Nepal Police Hospital. Through a bank account opened in the name of Lakshmi, Maharjan participated in financial activities. While 12 suspects in this case are still at large, the court has ordered that the remaining 16 be arrested for more preliminary investigation.
