Kathmandu, May 23
Police have arrested eight people — an Indian national and seven Nepali nationals — on the charge of dealing in counterfeit Indian currency.
Metropolitan Police Circle Kathmandu arrested them with fake Indian currency worth INRs 20 lakh. The arrestees are Baidhyanath Gupta of Bihar (India), Suman Malla (currently based in Budhanilkantha), Mira Jirel of Dolakha, Tarani Prasad Thakur of Saptari, Bijaya Sharma of Rupandehi, Sanat Shrestha of Gulmi, and Amrit Shrestha.
Police nabbed Sanat with INRs 10 lakh, Sharma with INR 5 lakh, Malla with INRs 65, 000 and Jirel with INRs 2 lakh.
Of the arrestees, Gupta has already served a 15-year jail term for drug trafficking, a police source said, adding that the arrestees also include Hundi traders.
Gupta had walked free a few months back after serving his jail term. A preliminary police investigation shows he was operating by using aliases such as Raju, Arun and Bijaya. The source says Sharma had walked free after serving a five-year jail term for involvement in drug trade.
Malla is a real estate agent, whereas Sanat is a Hundi trader.
Bikram Singh Thapa, SSP at MPC Kathmandu, said a further investigation is underway.
