Bhutanese refugee scam: SC orders police to keep Top Bahadur Rayamajhi among seven in custody

The Supreme Court has ordered the police administration to keep seven persons including CPN-UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi charged in the Bhutanese refugee scam in the custody,  

A joint bench of Justices Kumar Regmi and Tek Prasad Dhungana refused to release them on bail, upholding the decisions of the previous two levels of courts.

Earlier, the Kathmandu District Court and Patan High Court had issued an order to sent UML leader Rayamajhi, the then Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, then then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Badal’s advisor Indrajit Rai, main accused of Bhutanese refugee case Keshav Dulal, Sagar Rai and Sandesh Sharma to the jail.

The apex court, however, had ordered to release Angtawa Sherpa and Govinda Chaudhary on bail.

The court had sought bail of Rs 3 million from Sherpa and Rs 1 million from Chaudhary.

Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, former minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Keshva Prasad Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sagar Rai, Indrajit Rai, Govinda Kumar Chaudhary, Sandesh Sharma and Angtawa Sherpa, who were in the custody, had filed a complaint against the decision of the High Court.

They are accused of collecting millions of rupees from Nepali nationals promising to send them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees.

The Kathmandu District Court had ordered to send 16 out of 18 defendants allegedly involved in the same to the jail while two others were released on bail.

Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, however, was released after posting a bail amount of Rs 3 million in the same case.

Laxmi Maharjan, Ashish Budhathoki, Tanka Kumar Gurung and Keshav Tuladhar were released on general date.