Kathmandu, January 8
Political pressure has increased on the office of the Attorney General not to file a petition against former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand in the Supreme Court. Due to the pressure, the Attorney General’s Office has not submitted an application to the Supreme Court against the order of the Patan High Court to release Khand on a bail of Rs 3 million.
If the Attorney General’s Office submits a petition to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order, there is a possibility that Khand will be imprisoned again if the hearing is held. If the Attorney General’s Office does not go to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order, the former home minister Khand will be able to stay out of jail until the fake Bhutanese refugee scam is resolved.
“Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has requested not to go to the Supreme Court against Khand as there is a lot of pressure from the top leadership of the Nepali Congress, so all the processes have been stopped,” a source who remained anonymous in the Attorney General’s Office told Online Khabar.
A case was filed against the politicians and employees involved in the fake refugee case in Kathmandu district court last May on charges of doing things against the national interest, fraud and organised crime.
On June 16, 2023, Judge Prem Prasad Neupane ordered 16 people who were accused would be imprisoned and two should be released on bail. During that time, Balkrishna Khand was also imprisoned. It was said in the order, “Based on current evidence, it does not appear that these defendants are currently not guilty.”
