Kathamndu, March 22:

The Revenue Investigation Department (RID) is probing into the charge of revenue theft by owners of some shops in RB Complex. “We started checking stocks but by today we covered only three shops,” said RID director general Tanka Mani Sharma.

On March 16, the RID officials had gone to RB Complex to conduct a raid after getting a tip-off about VAT theft by some traders there. They sealed six shops — B120, B121, B119, G49, G45, G304 amid a major scuffle with the traders. The traders surrounded the officials, manhandled them and took them hostage. They also burnt official documents. APF men freed the RID officials.

The day after the scuffle, the traders gave a written apology to the RID for manhandling RID staffers on duty. The department has, however, started legal action against owners of the six shops in RB Complex and one shop in Surya Arcade. The investigation will be completed within a week and only then will the seven shops be given clearance.