KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu District Court has ordered the remand of Pratik Thapa, son of CPN-UML Vice Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal, in custody for trial in the fake Bhutanese refugee case.
The court issued this order following a detention hearing on Tuesday.
Judge Sakuntala Karki presided over the hearing and ruled that Thapa should remain in custody.
Pratik Thapa faces charges of defrauding Nepali citizens by falsely claiming they were Bhutanese refugees.
He has been accused of fraud, organized crime, forgery of government documents, offenses against the state, and multiple other crimes.
The government’s attorney has demanded a total of 24 years in prison for Thapa based on these charges.
Pratik Thapa had been on the run for a long time and was on the wanted list for his involvement in the fake refugee scam.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on May 14, 2023, by the District Police Office in Kathmandu.
He was finally apprehended on June 28 in the Boudha area.
Previously, Indrajit Rai, who served as a security advisor to Badal during his tenure as Home Minister, was also arrested and is currently in custody.
During the investigation, Rai implicated Pratik Thapa in the scam, although Thapa had initially denied any involvement.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police found evidence of Pratik Thapa’s involvement in the scam. However, he remained a fugitive until his recent arrest.
The scheme, which involved sending individuals to the United States under the guise of Bhutanese refugees, reportedly began during Badal’s tenure as Home Minister.
Several high-profile figures have been implicated in the scam, including former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, then-Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, Badal’s security advisor Dr. Indrajit Rai, CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, and his son Sandeep Rayamajhi.
While Sandeep and Khand have been released, Rayamajhi, Rai, and Pandey remain in custody, with both the district and high courts ordering their continued detention.
Comment