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Nepal Police arrested two more people for their alleged involvement in conducting a fake rescue operation in the mountaineering sector.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police apprehended Rajendra Bahadur Singh (56), former Vice-President of the Air Service Operators Association and Sandeep Tiwari (28), a representative of the Royal Holidays Adventure and Travel Company at Thamel. 

Singh, a resident of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City-31, was taken into custody today while Tiwari, a resident of Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality-2 in Dhading district, was detained last Tuesday. 

Shiva Kumar Shrestha, Spokesperson at the CIB, said that altogether nine people have been arrested so far in connection with this scam.

Those arrested are affiliated with trekking companies, rescue companies, hospitals, Nepal-based staff of foreign insurance companies and shareholder-operators of helicopter companies, said Spokesperson Shrestha.

The Bureau reported that the investigation found the accused falsely claiming to have rescued foreign tourists who supposedly fell ill during high-altitude treks, using these fake incidents to fraudulently secure insurance payouts and make unlawful financial gains.

Tiger count is beginning in the Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP) from March 7.

Information officer at SNP, Purushottam Wagle, informed that the tigers would be counted in the park and vicinity immediately after the House of Representatives elections. The tiger census was scheduled after the elections, considering the workforce management.

Automated cameras would be fixed at Jogbudha of Dadeldhura and Laljhadi-Mohana Reserve Area in addition to SNP for counting the big cats. The cameras would be installed in the tiger's territory. The territory has been named Shuklaphanta-Laljhandi-Jogbuda Complex for the tiger count. 

Earlier in 2022, the complex had recorded 36 adult tigers. Among which, 16 were female and 12 male. Eight others were added in the census with further analyses. 

Although SNP is a small sanctuary for the tigers, there are dense species of prey, contributing to the rise in the number of tigers, the conservationists said. SNP, a home to endangered species of wildlife, stretches in 305 square kilometers.

The Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumers' Protection has been active in market monitoring in view of rising complaints related to food and beverages. 

The complaints of black marketing of goods are on rise in the wake of intensified election preparation.

In this connection, the Department inspected JS General Store at Kuleshwor, Kathmandu and fined Rs 10,000 for its failure to maintain standard. The Store was taken action as per Consumer Protection Act, 2075. 

Twenty other firms were inspected by the monitoring agency on a day alone. Nine of those were directed to improve their services and respect consumers' rights.

The monitoring was conducted also in presence of local level representatives, consumer rights defenders and other stakeholders, the Department said.

Nepal is witnessing the general impact of the lower pressure system. 

Currently, it is raining lightly in some hilly and mountainous regions of Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces. There is also a light snowfall in these places. 

It is generally cloudy in hilly and mountainous regions of the country, while the rest of the places are clear, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. 

However, some places are predicted to have foggy weather in the Tarai region this morning. It will be generally cloudy in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali Provinces, and the mountainous region of other provinces. 

Some places in Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces are predicted to have light rainfall and snowfall with thunder in the hilly and mountainous belts, while similar weather is forecasted in few places of Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces later today, the weather service stated.