Police to reopen old cases against Lharkyal Lama

Kathmandu, March 16

A probe panel formed by the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu has widened the scope of investigation into allegations against Lharkyal Lama, a Unified CPN-Maoist lawmaker.

Lama was arrested and handed over to the MPR by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority on Sunday after 14 bullets were recovered from his locker at Durbar Marg-based Nepal Investment Bank during a search in connection with allegations against him of amassing property disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The District Administration Office, Kathmandu had remanded him to five-day judicial custody from the date of his arrest for further investigation into arms and ammunition case under the Some Nepal Laws Amendment Act, 2015.

“Though his judicial remand will end on Friday, we will seek more time from the DAO to reopen other old cases involving Lama.

We have launched an all-out investigation into allegations against him of possessing dual citizenship, cheating persons aspiring for foreign employment and others, if any,” SP Pradhyumna Karki, who leads the probe panel, told THT, adding, “The case against him is not limited to arms and ammunition now.”

On Lama’s refusal to undergo polygraph test, SP Karki said, “We did not put pressure on him to undergo lie detector for the second time as per the rule. His refusal prompted us to carry out evidence-based investigation.”

During interrogation, Lama passed the buck to an unidentified person for the bullets recovered from his locker. “Search for weapons, if any, is under way and we have also focused on allegations of dual citizenship and fraud cases against him at the same time,” said SP Karki.

A foreign employment fraud case was filed against Lama at the Department of Foreign Employment in September 2013 for allegedly swindling unemployed youths of approximately Rs 21.9 million.