KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu District Court today sent Yunus Ansari, chairman of the National Television and three other co-accused to jail for their involvement in fake Indian currency racket and drug peddling.

A single bench of Judge Madhav Prasad Pokhrel granted judicial remand to them as per Section 118(2) of the Court Procedure of Muluki Ain, 1963.

The bench ruled that they have to stay behind the bar till the final hearing since the case is of sensitive in nature.

Rejecting their plea for bail, the bench said that all the accused involved in the scam —Sajja Mohammad Khuram, Mohammad Iqbal and Kashi Ram Adhikari —have to stay in jail in order to proceed with the case until a final decision is made.

They were arrested on January 1 in connection with fake currency racket and prosecuted under Narcotics Drugs (Control) Act and Anti-Fake Currency Act. The other accused were arrested by the police from their rented room in Thamel, Kathmandu for their involvement in peddling of heroin.

Kashi Ram Adhikari, the body guard of Yunus Ansari was also arrested with heroin to the tune of 3.7 kg from Thamel. Adhikari’s arrest led the police to discover that Ansari was behind the scam. The police recovered high-denomination fake Indian currency notes having a face value of Rs 25,44,500.

The police nabbed Adhikari of Sudal VDC, Bhaktapur, from Blue Bird Hotel (Room No 611), Thapathali with bundles of fake Indian currency in his two suitcases, eventually leading to heroin haul and arrest of the co-accused. The fake currency notes were in denomination of Rs 1,000 and 500.

Ansari is not only the national chairman of Rastriya Janata Dal, but is also the president of National Wrestling Association. As the chairman of the National Television, which recently went on air, he had invested millions of rupees in the new venture.

Ansari is a son of former minister Salim Miya Ansari.

Khurram and Iqbal were arrested from Red Planet Guest House (Room Nos. 304 and 204, respectively) in Thamel, with 3.7-kg of heroin. While Ansari was arrested from Talchhikhel of Lalitpur.