Police bust forgery racket‚ two persons arrested

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police today arrested two members of a forgery racket long involved in counterfeiting government seals and signatures.

The arrested are Chandra Prasad Bhattarai (45) of Khotang and Santosh Dawadi (22) of Gorkha.

CIB said Bhattarai and Dawadi were operating the forgery racket under the cloak of lekhandas (persons who prepare legal documents) and as managing directors of Teku-based Century Cargo & Couriers Forwarder Pvt Ltd, respectively, to cover up their illegal deeds.

According to CIB, they counterfeited documents of government offices for prospective clients. Interestingly, they would translate official documents in Nepali language into English ( task that is done by the Law Book Management Committee) and affix its seal on translated documents and charge clients hefty amounts.

An investigator informed that the racketeers charged Rs 20,000 per copy of official document. It has been found that their clients were persons living abroad or aspiring to go abroad for various purposes.

They racketeers worked at four levels, that ranged from hunting for prospective clients and providing them ‘service’.

Take the case of Atikala Thapa and her husband Keshar Bahadur Thapa of Baglung. They translated the Nepali version of a divorce paper issued by Baglung District Court into English, and affixed a seal of the Law Book Management Committee on it.

The gang also prepared fake documents for Kathmandu-based Eva Films Production Pvt Ltd and Praiddhi Cine Maker Pvt Ltd to enable them to screen their movies abroad.

Officials said further investigation was under way to establish their link with other racketeers. Bhattarai and Dawadi have been sent to Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka to press forgery charges.