KATHMANDU: Following their arrest in the Fake Bhutanese Refugee case, two individuals have been transferred to the Money Laundering Department for further investigation.

On Friday, Judge Prem Prasad Neupane of the Kathmandu District Court granted bail to two out of the 18 individuals arrested in connection with this case.

Tanka Kumar Gurung was required to submit a bond of Rs 10 lakh, while Laxmi Maharjan had to post Rs 5 lakh.

Despite fulfilling the bail requirements, they have not been released and have instead been handed over to the Money Laundering Department for further inquiry.

The public prosecutor’s office has filed charges against 30 individuals, including the aforementioned duo, for five offenses.

The charges include fraud, organized crime, crimes against the state, document-related crimes, and integrated crime. The Asset Laundering and Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission has also been instructed to investigate the matter. Consequently, the police have transferred them to the department for investigation.

Additionally, the court has ordered the pre-trial detention of 16 individuals, including former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Home Minister Balkrishna Khand, former Home Secretary Teknarayan Pandey, former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s security advisor Indrajit Rai, and former lawmaker Angtawa Sherpa, in relation to this case.