KATHMANDU: Former Koshi Province Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Lila Ballav Adhikari, who was arrested on charges of human trafficking during a visit to Japan, will not face prosecution.
The District Attorney’s Office in Kathmandu decided not to file charges against Adhikari, who was accused of forging ministry documents and identification to take three individuals to Japan without approval from provincial or federal governments on October 29.
Adhikari had lost his ministerial position and was suspended from all responsibilities by the CPN-UML after it was revealed that he traveled to Japan without authorization and took three individuals with him.
While the former minister was spared prosecution, the District Attorney’s Office filed charges against 11 others implicated in the case. A case has been registered against them at the Kathmandu District Court.
Adhikari was arrested on November 10 from his residence in Biratnagar following allegations that he charged the three individuals between 1 million and 1.4 million rupees each to facilitate their travel to Japan.
The incident came to light after Japan’s immigration authorities deported the individuals.
The accused include Dawa Sherpa, Yograj Gautam (alias Gopal), Janak Rai, Mahesh Pandey, Bir Bahadur Sunuwar, Gudi Rai, Nabin Rai, Kanchan Devkota, Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai, Jugal Rijal, and Diwakar Babu Bhattarai.
Of these, Diwakar Babu, Gopal, and Bishnu Prasad remain at large.
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