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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.  

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.    

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.  

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat has said the existing bank interest rates will be revised in a bid to reform the obtaining economic scenario, making the economy vibrant. The Minister said this in his response to lawmakers' concerns raised during the deliberations on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill (except tax proposal) for the fiscal year 2080-81 BS (2023-24) in the National Assembly (NA) today. Stating that the new budget would be coming in a special context, he pledged for maximum efforts to address the economic issues to a larger extent. Thanking lawmakers for their valuable feedback on the bill, he assured of taking ownership over such submissions. Minister Sharma said that the upcoming budget would focus on achieving an inclusive economic growth rate instead of targeting it to a certain class or community. According to the Minister, the government is to take all possible measures to increase the size of foreign assistance. "There will be efforts for increasing capital expenditure and its efficiency from the very first day of the fiscal year," he said, adding that the new budget would be based on foreign assistance, revenue collection and internal loans. He also vowed for effective expenditures. "The government is aware that investment at the moment is not encouraging as the cost has increased due to a high interest rate," the Minister said, adding, "Interest rates will be minimized through a monetary policy which will positively contribute to the nation's economy and make it vibrant." He said that the home and finance ministries would work collaboratively to discourage revenue leakage. "The country witnessed a noticeable development in the areas of health, education and infrastructure. But this is not enough and many more are needed. " He took time to say that the government approach for taxation would be centered in the interest of the nation and people instead of any specific group or community and suggestions of lawmakers would be taken into account in course of the budget formulation. "The focus will be for cutting general and unnecessary expenditures to promote austerity." The finance minister made it clear that the government was committed to social security and had no plan of cutting the budget for the social security allowance. The NA shall meet again at 6:31 pm on May 17.