KATHMANDU: Former State Minister and sitting Member of Parliament Lharkyal Lama has been arrested after 14 rounds of bullets were found in his bank locker during a raid conducted by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday.

The CIAA had been investigating into a money laundering case against the controversial UCPN-Maoist leader, who was forced to resign from the Jhala Nath Khanal-led government in 2011 following allegations that he held Indian passport and Tibetan refugee card.

During the investigation, a team of the CIAA recovered the live bullets from the Lama's locker in the Durbarmarga-based Nepal Investment Bank, it has been learned.

Following the incident, the CIAA team handed over Lama to the Metropolitan Police Circle, Durbarmarga.

The MPC handed him over to the Metropolitan Police Range , Kathmandu for further investigation and action.

SSP Bikram Singh Thapa, Chief of the MPR, told THT Online over phone that Lama would be presented before the District Administration Office today itself for a remand.

"Further investigation is underway," he said.

It has not been clear yet whether the confiscated bullets were illegal.

Controversial history

Lama was picked by the Jhala Nath Khanal-led government as the State Minister for Finance, but following hullabaloo over his alleged multiple passports and citizenships, he resigned on April 22, 2011.

Lama had reportedly possessed passports and citizenships under four different names — Lharkyal Lama, Larkel Sherpa, Wangchuwk Rimpoche and Chhimpo Chime Tshering along with a Tibetan identity card from Nepal and India.

On July 6, the probe committee formed by the government gave him clean chit regarding the controversy over his passport.

Later on October 22, 2013, Lama joined Unified CPN-Maoist.

Lama took oath of office and secrecy as the Constituent Assembly member from the UCPN-Maoist on February 16, 2015.