Fake bhutanese refugee documents was to be made in the large scale to send people to USA through UNHCR refugee process in exchange of up to about USD 40,000 from each.
Total accused 30, arrested 16, at large 14,
Other possible connections 10
Arrested (16)Keshab Dulal,
Tanka Gurung,
Sandesh Sharma (ward president),
Top Bahadur Rayamajhi (ex deputy PM, secretory of CPN UML),
Dr Indrajit Rai (Security Advisor of Baadal),
Shamsher Miyan (President of hajj committee),
Aangtawa sherpa (ex MP),
Sandip Rayamajhi (son of Top bahadur)
Bal Krishna Khand (Home minister 2021 July),
Tek Narayan Panday (Home secretory of Khand),
Narendra KC (PA of Khand)
Teknath Rijal (bhutanese refugee leader)
At large (14)
Pratik Thapa (Bharatpur-10, chitwan) (Son of Baadal),
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TIMELINE
2019: Keshab Dulal and Sanu Bhandari the made plan, Bhandari told plan to then CPN UML secretory Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, and then Rayamajhi told plan to then home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Baadal' through his Security Advisor of Dr Indrajit Rai. Minister agreed. Tanka Gurung and Sagar Rai assigned for eastern Nepal and Sandesh Sharma for western Nepal to find customer who would pay upto 45 lakh (approx. USD 40,000) to go to USA as a refugee. They collected about Rs 33 Karod (approx. 2.5 million USD).
2019 June 13: home ministry formed 3 membered task force headed by Balkrishna Panthi to report about "long term solution of bhutanese refugee problem". 875 people applied as omitted in original counting to the task force. This task force only validated 429 people who were verified by UNHCR and refugee coordinate unit (RCU) and refused to validate the rest.
2021 feb 23: original Panthi task force report sent to social committee of cabinet for study.
Home ministry "lost" original hard copy of Panthi task force during Badal home ministership.
2021 July: Deuba government formed. Balkrishna Khand replaced Baadal as home minister. Victims who paid large sum of money got worried and filed complaints in CIAA and Kathmandu valley crime investigation bureau. Police started investigation.
2021 Aug: Home ministry noticed the complaint. New home secretory Tek Narayan Pandey asked Dulal and bhandari about the matter, who agreed to pay new home secretory and home minister too to get the case go through. They paid Rs 1.25 Karod (approx. USD100,000) to the new minister and secretory.
2022 Jan 14: Nepal cabinet decided to implement suggestion given my Panthi task force which validated only 429 omitted people.
2022 Dec: New Prachanda cabinet formed. Khand out as home minister.
2023 Mar 26: Keshab Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Gurung arrested.
2023 Mar 29: Sagar Rai arrested.
2023 Apr 12: Sandesh Sharma arrested.
2023 May 2: Indrajit Rai arrested.
2023 May 3: Tek Narayan Pandey, Sandip Rayamajhi arrested.
2023 May 8: Ramsharan KC, Govinda Chaudhari arrested.
2023 May 10: Former home minister Bal Krishna Khand and his PA Narendra KC arrested.
2023 May 15: Aangtawa Sherpa surrendered to police.
2023 May: Hajj committee president Shamsher miyan arrested. He is accused of providing his government vehicle for crime.
2023 May 18: Bhutanese refugees leader Tek Nath Rijal arrested after other accused Sagar Rai said he gave Rs 7 lakh to Rijal.
2023 May 21: Kathmandu police submitted report to Kathmandu district government attorneys for further legal actions. Report says at least 32 people were involved in the scam in which at least 106 people were victims who paid at least Rs 240 millions. Police has arrested 16 of accused were as other 16 are in run. (link) Other 7 people that police said they did not find enough evidence for further investigation include Ram Bahadur Thapa badal (ex minister), Aarju rana deuba (wife of NC president), Manju Khand (wife of Bal karishna khand), Prem Kumar Rai (CIAA president), Rajes Bajracharya (PA of KP Oli).