Former Home Minister of Nepal and Nepali Congress leader Balkrishna Khand has been arrested in connection with an alleged trafficking scam involving the fraudulent movement of Nepal nationals as Bhutanese refugees to other countries. Khand was apprehended from his residence in Chabahil and taken into custody at the Kathmandu Police Circle. The arrest was made based on statements provided by individuals previously detained in relation to the case. The victims were deceived into providing large sums of money with the promise of being sent to the United States as Bhutanese refugees.
Earlier, the Additional Inspector General of Nepal Police, Bigyan Raj Sharma, had claimed that two individuals arrested in the scam were released under political pressure during Khand’s tenure as the Home Minister. An audio tape surfaced recently, allegedly implicating ARzu Rana Deuba, the wife of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Manju, the wife of former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, as recipients of payments from the racket involved in the scam.Another individual implicated in the case is Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, a former Deputy Prime Minister and leader from the Opposition CPN-UML, who is currently evading arrest.The investigation into the trafficking scam continues as authorities work to bring all those involved to justice.