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Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden demanded that the government make public its progress made so far in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. Speaking at a Parliament meeting on Wednesday, Chairman Lingden demanded a ruling to inform the activities made by the government in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam at the earliest. “This is not financial corruption. This is a heinous crime against the state,” he said, “People involved in the scam should not be spared.” Saying that high profile people are accused of being involved in the scam, he said that it was an insult of the country. “We urged the government to inform the Parliament about its commitment actions taken so far,” he said. He said that arguments were making rounds that whether police would launch an investigation into the case. Chairman Lingden also warned the government not to make a mistake by submitting the case to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).  

Police have brought Nepali Congress leader and former Minister for Home Affairs Bal Krishna Khand to the District Police Range, Kathmandu for further investigation into his alleged involvement in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. Khand was held from his personal residence and brought to the Range for further investigation, said Range Chief Senior Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Karki. Police have already arrested 11 persons for their alleged involvement in the creating fake documents to send people to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. Earlier, police had arrested Indrajit Rai, who served as security advisor to the then Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa, the then Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Tek Narayan Pandey, Sandeep Rayamajhi, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Gurung, Sandesh Sharma and Sagar Thulung, in connection with the scam. Police said that they are also searching for CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, one of the high-profile accused in the racket. So far, 106 victims of the fake Bhutanese refugee scam have filed complaints at the police office. They lodged complaints saying that the middlemen or fraudsters fleeced over Rs 230 million from them at different time giving them a false hope to send to the United States in the guise of Bhutanese refugee.  

Two mergers in the insurance sector are coming to a logical conclusion this week. After completing the merger process, Prime Life Insurance, Gurans Life Insurance, and Union Life Insurance started an integrated operation as Himalayan Life Insurance Company on Tuesday. Similarly, IME General Insurance and Prudential Insurance will begin integrated operation on Wednesday as IGI Prudential Insurance. The mergers are among the eight successful unions in the Nepali insurance sector after Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA) pushed for consolidation. Of the 10 MoUs signed between various companies for mergers, eight have been concluded. With the successful merger between IME General and Prudential, there have been five successful mergers among non-life insurers and three among life insurance companies. The consolidation in the insurance sector has brought down the number of insurance companies; the number of non-life insurance companies has declined to 15 from earlier 20, while the number of life insurance companies came down to 15 from 19. Prime Life, Union Life, and Gurans Life signed a final merger agreement to form Himalayan Life Insurance Company Limited in the second week of January on a swap ratio of 1:1:1. The paid-up capital of Himalayan Life Insurance has reached Rs 7.69 billion. Sulav Agrawal has been named as the chairman of the new entity formed after the merger and Manoj Lal Karn has taken charge of the company as the CEO. The IME General and Prudential Insurance have agreed to merge on an equal basis of a 1:1 swap ratio. Hem Raj Dhakal and Yugesh Bhakta Bade Shrestha have been named as chairman and CEO of IGI Prudential Insurance, respectively. Among the insurance companies having inked merger MoUs, only Ajod Insurance and United Insurance have yet to begin their integrated business. They are planning for integrated business by the first week of June. With NIA pushing for a consolidation drive by raising the minimum paid-up capital requirements for both life and non-life insurers, insurance companies have ratcheted their merger initiatives. The regulator has increased the paid-up capital of non-life insurance companies to Rs 2 billion while it is Rs 5 billion for life insurance companies. "The merger drive will bring a synergetic effect in the insurance sector," said Shamba Raj Lamichchhane, Deputy Director at NIA. "We have set the mid-July deadline for insurance companies to increase their paid-up capital. While those completing mergers will get some flexibility to increase their capital, others will have to increase their capital within the deadline."

The price of gold has increased by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 111, 600 per tola today. The gold was traded at Rs 111,200 per tola on Tuesday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 050 per tola. Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,445 per tola today.

Police on Wednesday arrested former Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Bal Krishna Khand in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. Kathmandu District Police Range Chief Dan Bahadur Karki said that Khand was apprehended on the basis of the statement given by those detained in the case of fake Bhutanese refugees. Karki said that Khand was nabbed from his residence this morning. Police have arrested Khand for further investigation after an audio of his wife Manju receiving money in the refugee scam was leaked. Earlier, police had detained the then Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, Indrajit Rai, security advisor of the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sagar Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Tanka Bahadur Gurung and CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi’s son Sandeep for their alleged involvement in creating fake documents in order to send Nepalis to the United States in the guise of Bhutanese refugees. Top Bahadur Rayamjhi, however, is on the run after the Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against him. Ram Sharan KC of Tokha and Govinda Chaudhary of Morang were held from Sankhamul of Kathmandu on Tuesday in connection with the same case, Rabindra Regmi, Information Officer at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, said. They are accused of collecting Rs 500, 000 to Rs 4.5 million per person from many Nepalis with a promise to send them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees. Meanwhile, Karki said that police have also arrested Narendra KC, who served as personal secretary when Khand was Home Minister, in connection with the scam this morning. He is the personal secretary of the then Home Minister Khand.    

Three persons, who sustained critical injuries while trying to put out the fire that broke at Bhumikasthan Municipality in Arghakhanchi, lost their lives. The deceased have been identified as Pitambar Belbase (72), Padam Belbase (55) and Ghanashyam Belbase (52) of Bhumikasthan-2. Pitambar died on the way to the hospital in Rampur, Palpa while Padam lost his life nearby Narayangarh in Chitwan. Likewise, Ghanashyam died while being treated in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the District Police Office, Mukunda Rijal. At least five people were injured while trying to douse the fire that broke out at the home of Padam Belbase in Bhumikasthan-2 on Tuesday afternoon. Asmita Belbase (26) and Madhav Belbase (35) were injured in the fire incident. Madhav's condition is critical, police said. After primary treatment at the District Hospital in Sandhikharka, the injured were referred to the Mission Hospital Palpa for further treatment. They were then referred to Kathmandu after their treatment was not possible in Palpa. Meanwhile, eight houses and sheds of Muslim settlement at Sandhikharka Municipality-4, Wangla were turned into ashes in another fire incident. The fire has left four buffaloes dead. Over 800 chickens were killed when the fire broke out in the farm, the district police office shared. The inferno has destroyed the houses and sheds of Khaire Miya, Rajim Miya, Kala Miya, Samsu Miya, Jamaladdin Miya, Safi Miya and Samsar Miya of Muslim community. The fire was taken under control with the help of Nepal Police and Armed Police personnel Force and local people.  

Police have carried out a raid at the house of CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi on Tuesday. Police raided Rayamajhi’s house after he was dragged into the case of fake Bhutanese refugees. A special police team raided the house of Rayamajhi in Satdobato, Lalitpur this afternoon in the presence of local representatives. Earlier on May 3, the Kathmandu District Court had issued an arrest warrant against Rayamajhi, also a member of the House of Representatives, for his alleged involvement in creating fake documents in order to send Nepalis to the United States in the guise of Bhutanese refugees. He has been absconding following the issuance of the arrest warrant. Rayamajhi’s son has already been arrested in connection to the case.  

With the projection that the demand for electricity in Kathmandu Valley will reach 3,100 MW by 2050, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has initiated a survey to strengthen the transmission and distribution system. The state-owned power utility plans to construct a 220 KV capacity ring transmission line to facilitate the supply of electricity in the Kathmandu Valley. According to NEA, the electricity demand of the valley, which currently stands at 350 MW, will reach 3,100 MW by 2050. However, the current transmission, distribution, and substation infrastructure cannot support that equivalent power supply. As the demand for electricity is increasing in Kathmandu, problems have started to arise in the transmission system. Kulman Ghising, Executive Director of NEA said that the survey will focus on all important aspects of power distribution in the capital valley. Similarly, the NEA is also constructing eight high-capacity substations to improve the electricity transmission and distribution system in the valley. According to the NEA, 400, 200, and 132 KV substations are under construction in Kathmandu Valley. According to NEA, substations are under construction at Lapsiphedi, Matatirtha, Chobhar, Futung, Teku, Mulpani and Thimi and Changunarayan in Bhaktapur in Kathmandu. Teku and Changunarayan substations are in the final stage of construction. Both substations are being constructed to be put into operation within this fiscal year. "The electricity demand in Kathmandu Valley did not increase much this winter. Considering the next winter, the construction of these substations should be completed," said Ghising. "After the construction of Teku and Futung substations, the management of electricity demand and supply in Kathmandu is much easier." In order to address the future demand for electricity, the NEA has also advanced the process of construction of transmission and distribution infrastructure in major areas of the valley in a phased manner. For this, the land acquisition process for the construction of additional 20 substations has been started. The improvement of the transmission and distribution system has been advanced with the investment of the Nepal government and concessional loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).