Kathmandu, April 7

Police today arrested Sulav Agrawal, Nepal’s Honorary Consul for Kyrgyzstan and executive director of Shanker Group of Companies, on the charge of black-marketing infrared thermometers, used for remotely measuring body temperature amid it high demand in the wake of the novel coronavirus spread.

Police claimed they had arrested Agrawal red-handed as he was negotiating with police who were in the guise of businessmen. Agrawal was taken into custody from Bal Mandir premises in Naxal, where he had reached in a diplomatic number plate vehicle (209-HCC -1) provided by the Government of Nepal.

Agrawal was demanding Rs 15,000 for each thermal gun though its market price was Rs 3,500, according to police.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sahakul Bahadur Thapa, head of Metropolitan Police Crime Division, who had undertaken the mission said, police in the guise of businessmen were in contact with Agrawal for the past few days, bargaining over the price of the thermal gun.

Agarawal had at first demanded Rs 20,000 for each device. Police in a bid to take him into confidence had bargained like real business persons and agreed to buy the gun at Rs 15,000 a piece.

Agrawal had reached the rendezvous today with 67 thermal guns.

Police in civvies had agreed to provide cash after they got the device.

According to SSP Thapa, Agrawal had first urged them to buy devices worth Rs 20 lakh. However, after police said they only had Rs 10 lakh, Agrawal had reached there with 67 devices. Police were unaware about Agrawal’s identity until he was arrested.

Police have also confiscated the government identity card that revealed Agrawal’s identity as honorary consul for the Kyrgyz Republic.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 08, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.