Gaighat, January 19

A person projecting himself as Avatari Lama influenced an entire village, swindled millions and disappeared from a village in Udayapur.

According to SP Nar Bahadur Khatri at District Police Office, an individual named Ushuk from Taplejung had collected hefty amounts from the Sherpa community at Murkuchibazaar of Rauta VDC-9 in the district and fled.

Lama had cheated locals with the assurance that he would bring in foreign assistance for the construction of a monastery in their village.

Police said that since the day he arrived in Murkucibazaar, Lama had taken money ranging from Rs 200 to 2,000 from persons pledging to pacify their ill fate.

He had robbed a person of gold jewels worth Rs 3 million.

SP Khatri said the so-called Lama had robbed Palde Sherpa, a trader, of gold and jewellery worth Rs 3 million.

Sherpa said that Lama had kept the jewels in a tin box, locked it and kept the key with himself saying that he needed to offer prayers at the box for a few more days. When Lama fled from Itahari on Friday, Sherpa opened the box and found nothing inside it.

“When I did not see the jewels inside the box, I came to know that I was swindled”, Sherpa said.

Police have launched a manhunt to nab the swindler on the basis of a case filed by Sherpa.