Former Home Minister of Nepal arrested in 'Bhutanese refugee scam'

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 10 : Nepal's former Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Balkrishna Khand was on Wednesday arrested from his residence in connection to the alleged trafficking of Nepal nationals as Bhutanese refugees abroad.
According to police, Khand was arrested from his residence in Chabahil for his alleged involvement in the scam and detained at the Kathmandu Police Circle.
"We have detained him on the basis of the statement given by those who were arrested earlier in the case of sending non-Bhutanese refugees to third countries as Bhutanese refugees," Assistant Inspector General of Valley Police Office, Shyamlal Gyawali told ANI over the phone.
Khand has been arrested for his involvement in the racket where many Nepal nationals were tricked of huge sums of their money on the promise of sending them to the United States as Bhutanese refugees.
Previously, the Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Nepal Police, Bigyan Raj Sharma had claimed that two persons arrested by police over the issue were released under political pressure during Khand's tenure as the Home Minister.
On Sunday, an audio tape purportedly between a member of the racket involved in the scam and a victim claimed that ARzu Rana Deuba wife of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Manju, wife of former home minister Bal Krishna Khand respectively were also paid by the racket.
Another former Deputy Prime Minister and Leader from Opposition CPN-UML- Top Bahadur Rayamajhi indicted in the case is still on the run.