KATHMANDU, APRIL 8 Arrest warrants have been issued against former five-time prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, former foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba in connection with a money laundering case. The warrant was obtained from the Kathmandu District Court as part of a larger investigation into alleged illicit wealth accumulation. Legal proceedings are underway, but the couple have not been detained as they are currently abroad (Hong Kong) for medical treatment. 'The arrest warrant was issued yesterday (April 7) from the bench of Justice Mahendra Bahadur Karki,' a district court official confirmed. 'The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DMLI) obtained permission from the court.' According to the source, if they (the accused) are abroad, they will be processed through Interpol by the police. 'That is the international practice.' Interpol issues a red corner notice upon the request of member countries to seek the arrest and extradition of wanted individuals. It is issued in response to a valid arrest warrant from a competent court. In Nepal, the National Central Bureau (NCB) Kathmandu, a division of Nepal Police, serves as Interpol's liaison, facilitating cross-border cooperation and information exchange in criminal investigations across the organisation's 190 member countries. The case is linked to previous developments following a fire at their Budhanilkantha home on September 9, 2025, during which partially burnt cash was reportedly recovered, attracting public attention and prompting further investigation. Sher Bahadur is said to have given an answer to the Gauri Bahadur Karki-led inquiry commission about the amount of money discovered at his residence in a statement taken by the Nepal Police. The report, which does not reveal the amount of money seized, was made public via various media outlets, including Sidhakura.com. The commission, in its recommendation, called for a thorough legal investigation into the money discovered during the raid on Deuba and others' homes on September 9. Meanwhile, former PM Deuba has stated that he learnt from the media that he was being investigated for money laundering and that there has been 'misleading and false propaganda' about him and his family regarding property-related matters. 'I would like to inform you all that we have been submitting all factual details of our property to the concerned authorities while holding public office according to law,' reads his Facebook post. 'My life has been an open book. I have spent my entire life striving for the establishment of a democratic system of governance in Nepal. My belief in rule of law, separation of powers, independent judiciary, transparency and responsible state organs remains steadfast.' He further said in his post, 'During my tenure in government as the home minister in 1991, I initiated the act for establishing the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the Corruption Control Act was passed under my premiership during my tenure as prime minister in 2002.' He mentioned in his post that they are currently abroad for long-term medical treatment. 'I request everyone not to believe in the misinformation campaigns being conducted. The reality will unfold over time,' reads his post. Meanwhile, legal experts have said that extradition is a normal and legal process once a court issues an order. Advocate Dipendra Jha, speaking with THT, shared, 'As per news reports, the district court has given permission to arrest him. As the district court has given permission, I think a judge's permission is definitely legal.' According to Jha, once the court issues an order to arrest, it is the duty of the security and government to arrest someone. 'If he is not in the country, there is an international system to issue a Red Corner Notice in Interpol,' he said, emphasising that if those people are not within the country, the security agency could explore other ways to bring them back home. Regarding cases on former prime minister Deuba, he added, 'After the investigation and when the charge sheet is filed, we will see which property he has and which is legal or illegal. That is a subject of investigation that will be revealed later. This is a normal process.' Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi shared that as the district court has already given an order yesterday, the legal process is already in motion. 'Now that it has been authorised by the district court of Nepal, there is a prima facie basis for further investigation. Now Nepal Police is authorised to arrest the Deuba couple,' he told THT. 'However, a lot of technicalities are involved, such as the extradition treaty - I'm not sure whether there is one between Nepal and Hong Kong. And even if there is, they can refuse to cooperate. But now the legal process has been set in motion.'