The Kathmandu District Court has handed down prison sentences and financial penalties to high-profile politicians and bureaucrats convicted in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam.
The final sentencing, delivered on Tuesday by a single bench of Judge Tej Bahadur Khadka, finalizes the penalties for the high-profile racket that defrauded hundreds of Nepali citizens under the false promises of resettlement in the United States.
Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined Rs 20,000. The bench broke down his penalties across multiple charges, including one year in prison and a Rs 10,000 fine for fraud, alongside one year and six months of imprisonment and a Rs 15,000 fine for organized crime.
Khand also received six months in prison along with a fine of Rs 5,000 for offenses against the state, followed by an additional three-month term. However, under Nepal’s integrated sentencing laws, he will serve a maximum combined sentence of two years and pay a total fine of Rs 20,000.
Meanwhile, former minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi received a sentence of four years in prison along with a Rs 40,000 fine. His breakdown includes two years in prison and a Rs 20,000 fine for fraud, three years in prison and a Rs 30,000 fine for organized crime, and a total of two years in prison and a Rs 15,000 fine across consecutive counts for offenses against the state. His combined penalty was capped at four years and a Rs 40,000 fine under the integrated offense rules.
Similarly, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey was sentenced to four years in prison and fined Rs 40,000. Pandey was found guilty of using his bureaucratic position to defraud Nepali citizens of millions of rupees by falsely promising them resettlement in the United States under the guise of Bhutanese refugees.
This sentencing follows the court’s prior verdict on July 8, which convicted 16 individuals and acquitted seven others in the high-profile scam. Alongside Khand, Rayamajhi, and Pandey, the court found key planners and accomplices guilty, including Keshav Prasad Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, and Dr Indrajit Rai.
Conversely, the court acquitted seven individuals, including Sandeep Rayamajhi, Pratik Thapa, Ram Sharan KC, and Laxmi Maharjan, clearing them of all charges due to a lack of evidence.
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