Kathmandu, November 14
Thirty-eight alumni members and current students of Harvard University from Nepal have appealed to the government to immediately release renowned businessperson Roop Jyoti, who has been recently arrested on the charge of fraud.
The signatories of the petition include former chief election commissioner Bhoja Raj Pokharel, former National Planning Commission vice-chairman Swarnim Wagle, former ambassador Shambhu Ram Simkhada, journalists Prateek Pradhan and Subhash Ghimire.
Others on the list are: Pukar Malla, Hemendra Bohra, Pramila Acharya Rijal, Arnico K. Panday, Ashutosh Tiwari, Arup Rajouria, Kirti K. Joshi, Tsering Pema Lama, Bhushan Guragain, Durga Pokhrel, Dr. Anthony J Willet, Rajju Malla Dhakal, Ava Darshan Shrestha, Lipi Chapagain Shivaram, Usha and Jayaraj Acharya, Roshan Darshan, Bishnu Bahadur Thapa, Upasana Khadka, Broughton Coburn, Prabhas Pokharel, Tsering L Sherpa, Astha Thapa, Anne Shrestha, Bisundev Mahato, Aditya Todi, Dr. Bijay Acharya, Ashok Raj Pandey, Purushottam Ojha, Bibhaw Pokharel, Prem Karki, Keith D. Leslie and Aalok Raj Pandey.
They argue, “A multi-year and multi-party business dispute that should and could have been settled via a mediation or arbitration process appears to have been blown out of proportion into a criminal offence — targeting Roop Jyoti and resulting in his arrest. We are also troubled by media reports that suggest that Jyoti is being harassed because he refused to succumb to extortion; we demand that the authorities investigate this charge.”
“While we expect the rule of law to prevail and to take its course, the circumstances and the manner in which Jyoti and his family are being treated appear to be arbitrary, disproportionate and unfair.”
