Kathmandu (TIP): Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on March 5 decided to form a new alliance with former premier KP Sharma Oli’s party after terminating its nearly 15-month partnership with the Nepali Congress due to differences between the top leadership.
The alliance between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) led by Prachanda and the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led Nepali Congress has been terminated as the growing differences between the two top leaders reached a climax, a CPN-Maoist Centre party leader said.
“As (the) Nepali Congress did not cooperate with the Prime Minister, we are forced to look for (a) new alliance,” Ganesh Shah, Secretary of the CPN-Maoist, told PTI.
Prachanda became the prime minister for the third term with the support of the Nepali Congress on December 25, 2022.
After breaking the alliance with the Nepali Congress –the largest party in the House of Representatives– Prachanda joined hands with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), led by Oli, who was regarded as Prachanda’s top critic.
Last year, the CPN-UML withdrew its support to the Prachanda-led government following a rift over backing the main opposition party’s candidate for the presidential poll.
The new cabinet will be formed on Monday afternoon, and the size of the cabinet will be smaller, said Surendra Pandey, Vice-chairman of the CPN-UML.
The rift between the Maoist Centre and Nepali Congress grew after differences grew between Nepali Congress leader and Finance Minister Mahat and Prachanda over the issue of budget allocation to certain projects.
The rift grew as Nepali Congress President Deuba wanted the party’s senior leader and newly elected lawmaker Krishna Sitaula to be made the Chairman of the National Assembly against Prachanda’s plan to appoint his party’s fellow to the key post.
On Monday, the CPN-UML Chairman Oli met Prachanda at the Prime Minister’s quarters at Baluwatar and discussed matters relating to forming a new alliance, Shah said.
“The two leaders discussed the formation of a new government, a future course of action and possible leftist alliance among others, according to sources close to Baluwatar,” Shah said.
Soon after the meeting, leaders of three political parties, including Prime Minister Prachanda, CPN-UML chairman Oli and Rastriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) Ravi Lamichhane met at Baluwatar and discussed the modality of the new alliance and the formation of the new government.
Nepali Congress emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives during the November 2022 general election, securing 89 seats out of a total of 275.
The CPN-UML secured 78 seats, followed by the Maoist Centre, which got 32 seats.
The RSP, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janata Samajwadi Party and CPN-Unified Socialist won 20, 14, 12 and 10 seats respectively. It is necessary for a party to win the support of at least 138 members of the House of Representatives to form the government.
CPN-UML, the second largest party in Parliament, will be a major alliance for the Prachanda-led new government. (PTI)
Tag: Kathmandu
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Nepal PM ‘Prachanda’ forges new alliance with ex-premier Oli’s party after splitting with Nepali Congress
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Nepali teenage girl dies after being forced to stay in ‘period hut’
Kathmandu (TIP): A 16-year-old girl from Nepal has died after being banished to a ‘period hut’- the latest victim of an ancient ritual that still persists in the country- reports The Guardian.
Anita Chand, from the Baitadi district, in the west of the country, is understood to have died on August 9 from a snake bite while she was sleeping. Her death is the latest in a series where teenage girls have died from chhaupadi- a centuries-old belief that women and girls are unclean and untouchable during menstruation. As per chhaupadi, teenage girls are forced to stay alone at “period huts” for the duration.
According to the police of Baitadi, her family have denied she was on her period when she died. They said they are investigating Anita’s death. “We are working to end this practice but still [have] lots to do,” said Bina Bhatta, vice-chairperson of Pancheshwar rural municipality in Baitadi.
According to The Guardian, The last reported death from chhaupadi was in 2019. Parwati Budha Rawat, 21, died after spending three nights in an outdoor hut. Her death was the fifth reported case that year. Women and girls have died from animal attacks and from smoke inhalation after lighting fires in windowless huts. Rawat’s brother-in-law was sentenced to three months in jail.
After her death, several campaigns started in Nepal to end chhaupadi, and thousands of period huts were destroyed. But during Covid, the campaign took a step back and people started rebuilding period huts. (NIE) -
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Prachanda’s wife Sita Dahal passes away
KATHMANDU (TIP): Sita Dahal, wife of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, passed on July 12 after suffering from a rare neurological condition for a long time. She was 69.
Sita, who has been ill for a long time passed away Wednesday at Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu. She was undergoing treatment at the hospital, where the doctors confirmed her death at 8. 33 am, according to his press coordinator Surya Kiran Sharma.
She was suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Parkinson, diabetes and hypertension diseases, according to a bulletin issued by the hospital. She was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after her health condition turned serious.
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a rare neurological condition that can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.
Sita Dahal married Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda (“The Fierce One”), more than half a century ago when both were teenagers. Few details about their lives are on the public record, but Sita was by her husband’s side when he launched a decade-long insurgency against the government in 1996.
Sita was serving as an adviser to her husband’s Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Center), which entered mainstream parliamentary politics after the insurgency ended in 2006. “Our entire party is shocked by the tragic death of Comrade Sita Dahal,” the party said in a statement.
Sita “played a coordinating role as the parent of the entire party during the stormy years of the civil war, to resolve challenges, crises and disputes within the party”, the statement added.
Prime Minister Prachanda and wife Sita had three daughters and one son. Their eldest daughter Gyanu Dahal and son Prakash Dahal have already passed away.
She is survived by Prime Minister Prachanda and two daughters, Renu and Ganga. Renu Dahal is currently serving as Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. (Agencies) -
India, Nepal agree to tackle boundary dispute amicably; ink raft of pacts to broad-base ties
KATHMANDU, New Delhi (Tip): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on June 1 vowed to resolve the vexed boundary dispute in the spirit of friendship even as the two sides signed several major pacts including one on increasing New Delhi’s import of power from the neighbouring country to 10,000 megawatt in the next 10 years from the current 450 megawatt.
In the wide-ranging talks between Modi and Prachanda, the Indian side agreed to the first trilateral power trade from Nepal to Bangladesh through India for up to 40 megawatt of power, a move that is seen as a significant step towards ensuring greater regional cooperation.
In his media statement, Modi said both sides will continue to strive in taking the India-Nepal partnership to the “Himalayan heights” and that the important decisions taken at the talks are to make the ties ‘superhit’ in the future. In total, the two sides signed seven pacts which included a revised treaty of transit that was described by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra as “once in a generation kind of an agreement” as it would provide Nepal access to inland waterways of India for the first time and expected to contribute very significantly to the expansion of trade and investment linkages.
The two sides also firmed up several new initiatives to expand cooperation in areas of hydroelectric power, petroleum infrastructure, railway connectivity, cross-border payment systems and trade and investment as part of a futuristic approach to strengthen the overall trajectory of ties.
“We will continue to strive to take our relationship to Himalayan heights. And in this spirit, we will solve all the issues, whether it is of boundary or any other issue,” Modi said in his media statement in presence of Prachanda.
In his comments, the Nepalese prime minister, who arrived here on Wednesday on a four-day visit to India, said he and Modi discussed the boundary matter. “I urge prime minister Modi-ji to resolve the boundary matter through the established bilateral diplomatic mechanism,” he said.
The ties between the two countries came under severe strain after Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020 that showed three Indian territories — Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh — as part of Nepal.
India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioned Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. (PTI) -
Sherpa Kami Rita scales Mt Everest for 28th time, sets new world record
KATHMANDU (TIP): Veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa scaled Mt Everest for a record 28th time on May 23, breaking his own record with the highest number of ascends on the world’s highest peak, less than a week after setting it. The 53-year-old record-holding mountain guide stood atop the 8848.86 metres-high peak at around 9:20 am Tuesday, according to Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Expedition Manager of the Seven Summit Trek, who organised the expedition. This was Kami Rita’s double ascent of Mt Everest this spring, as he previously scaled Mt Everest for the 27th time on May 17.
Kami Rita regained the title for the most number of climbs, a day after another veteran Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa equalled his previous record.
A resident of Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal, Kami Rita first reached Everest on May 13, 1994 He works as a senior climbing guide at the Kathmandu-based Seven Summit Treks and has also scaled other famous peaks above 8,000 metres, including Mt K2, Mt Lhotse, Mt Manaslu and Mt Cho Oyu. (PTI) -
Nepal police arrest 10 Indians for illegally acquiring citizenship cards
Kathmandu (TIP): Ten Indian nationals, including three women, have been arrested here for allegedly acquiring Nepali citizenship cards illegally by producing fake documents, police said.
A Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office team apprehended the Indian nationals, all hailing from Bihar, from various parts of Kathmandu on may 8, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravindra Regmi said.
Of those arrested, seven were males, while three were females. The Kathmandu Valley Police Office revealed their identities at a press conference at its office on Sunday. The Indian nationals were found to have obtained the Nepali citizenship certificates on different dates from the district administration offices of Rupandehi, Bara and Parsa districts by producing fake documents, Regmi said. Police said those arrested have lived in Nepal for a long time, some since as far back as 2006, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.
The arrests took place after a three-month-long investigation, and those apprehended were engaged in the business of making sweets and ran sweet shops in Nepal, MyRepublica newspaper quoted the police as saying.
Nepali citizenship certificates, voter identity cards, Indian passports and Aadhar cards were also seized from those arrested, police said. The Indian nationals have been identified as Bharat Prasad Gupta, 55; Rahul Gupta, 30; Gyanmati Devi Gupta, 50; Gopal Gupta, 39; Ram Sundar Gupta, 44; Ram Prabesh Gupta, 43; Bharat Gupta, 46; Snehalata Gupta, 42; Mindevi Gupta, 49, and Rajesh Kumar Gupta, 52, all of them are from Bihar and currently reside in different parts of the Kathmandu Valley. (PTI) -
Six people missing in Nepal while picking precious Himalayan herb
KATHMANDU (TIP): At least six people, including two women, have gone missing in Nepal while picking up a precious Himalayan herb meant for vitality, as avalanches struck two remote mountainous regions of the country, police said on May 3. Yarshagumba is a half herb and half insect, believed to have the power to increase vitality and sexual energy. The herb, also known as caterpillar fungus, is found in the high Himalayas.
An avalanche occurred on Tuesday in the mountainous area of the Darchula district, burying 12 people who had set up tents to collect the herb.
Out of those buried, seven were rescued alive with the help of security personnel and local people.
However, four men and one woman could not be located till Wednesday afternoon, according to the police.
A team of 25 security personnel was headed to the incident site, The Himalayan Times newspaper quoted Deputy Superintendent of Police Deputy Iswori Dutta Bhatta as saying.
“It takes an hour for us to reach there. Then only we will know the ground realities”, DSP Bhatta, who was on the way to the avalanche site, said.
In a separate incident, a 32-year-old woman went missing in the Bajhang district after an avalanche swept her while she was picking up Yarshagumba, police said.
An additional team of police was dispatched to the area to conduct the search and rescue operation.
Yarshagumba costs at least Rs 50,000 per kg in the Nepalese market and has high demand in the international market. (PTI) -
2 Chinese, 115 Nepalese held in online loan scam
Kathmandu (TIP): Two Chinese and more than 100 Nepal nationals have been arrested for their involvement in running an online fraud loan scheme targeting Indians, police said on February 23. The Nepal Police said in a press release that they arrested two Chinese and 115 Nepalese in two separate raids conducted in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts in Kathmandu valley on Monday and Tuesday for their involvement in fraudulent cyber activities. Acting on a tip-off, Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range first detained a group of 37 individuals, including a Chinese from Old Baneshwor on Monday night. The Chinese national, identified as Chang Hu bao, operated illegal business activities targeting Indians with the help of Nepalese youth. “They had officially registered the company called Lewan Group to provide IT services for business houses in the capital,” police said. The Nepalese arrested from Kathmandu include 23 boys and 13 girls. After their arrest, the police also busted a larger racket in Sano Thimi Municipality of Bhaktapur district from where they arrested 80 persons, including a Chinese national named Wang Zinao in the second raid carried on a three-storey office building.A total of 48 laptops and 14 desktop PCs were also confiscated from the office. — PTI
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Protests in Nepal over $500-million US grant
Kathmandu (TIP): The police in Nepal fired rubber bullets and tear gas as hundreds of people protested over a $500 million US grant going before parliament, BBC reported. Nepal signed the Millennium Challenge Corporation pact to fund infrastructure projects in 2017 and it has been a bone of contention between the US and China. Several people were injured in the demonstrations outside the Parliament in Kathmandu. Groups opposing the US funding have said it undermines Nepal’s sovereignty, the report said.
Protesters were also targeted with water cannon in an attempt to disperse Sunday’s demonstration. Police had stones thrown at them.
The Nepal Parliament has until February 28 to ratify the deal, which has been delayed by divisions within political parties, including the ruling coalition. Nepalese media has reported that the US administration has held conversations with Nepali politicians urging them to endorse the pact by the end of the month or face the ties between the countries being reviewed. — IANS
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Nepal govt signs peace deal with radical Maoist group
Kathmandu (TIP): Nepal’s government on Thursday signed a peace agreement with a banned radical Maoist group, which was involved in violent attacks, extortion and bombings targeting infrastructure projects in the country.
According to the three-point agreement signed between the government and the outlawed Communist Party of Nepal-Chand, the government will lift the ban, release all their party members and supporters in jail and drop all legal cases against them. On its part, the rebel communist group will address all its political issues through dialogue and carry out all political activities in a peaceful manner, according to a statement issued by the leaders of both sides on Thursday. The government banned the CPN-Chand, a faction of the previous Maoist party, in March 2019 after it carried out a series of deadly bomb attacks in the capital Kathmandu.
According to government sources, details of the agreement will be made public on Friday during a programme which would be attended by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and general secretary of CPN-Chand Netra Bikram Chand, who has remained underground for two years.
Over 2,000 leaders and carders from the CPN-Chand face various charges across Nepal.
The peace agreement comes two days after the government formed a team led by Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa to hold dialogue with the radical group. The CPN-Chand had also formed its own talks team led by Khadga Bahadur Biswakarma. PTI
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Nepal PM won’t step down, will face Parliament: Official
Kathmandu (TIP): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will not resign immediately and implement the Supreme Court’s verdict against him by facing Parliament that is due to convene within two weeks, an official representing the embattled premier said on Wednesday. In a landmark ruling, a five-member constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher on Tuesday annulled the Oli government’s “unconstitutional” decision to dissolve the 275-member lower house of Parliament. The court also ordered the government to summon the House session within the next 13 days. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli amid a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Oli’s Press Adviser Surya Thapa said the Prime Minister, who turned 69 this week, intends to implement the verdict of the apex court after facing Parliament that is due to convene within two weeks.
KP Sharma Oli
“The Supreme Court’s verdict is controversial, however, it should be accepted and implemented. Its effects will be seen in the future as the decision has not provided any solution to the political problems,” Thapa said. He claimed that the apex court’s verdict will further fuel instability and pave the way for power-play. “The Prime Minister will face the House of Representatives to implement the verdict but will not tender his resignation as of now,” Thapa was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.A large section of the Nepalese media welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict that reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives. They hailed the decision, saying it has upheld democratic values and safeguarded the Constitution. — PTI
Oli should resign
Vice-president of the CPN Bamdev Gautam, who has so far maintained a balance between Oli and his rivals Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal, has urged the PM to step down. “As the court verdict has proven that the PM’s step was unconstitutional, he must resign immediately,” he said.
‘Against his autocratic style’
Members of the anti-Oli faction said they rejected his autocratic style of functioning and the latest court order proved his inability to govern.
“If Oli does not resign then parliament will take a decision on his fate,” Shrestha said, adding that the tourism-dependent economy needed a stable government. Reuters
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Nepal approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Vero Cell for emergency use
Kathmandu (TIP): Nepal on Thursday approved the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Vero Cell for emergency use, a government official told Reuters, the second shot to be cleared after the AstraZeneca product. “Conditional permission has been granted to the Chinese vaccine for its emergency use in Nepal,” said Santosh K.C, a senior official in the Department of Drug Administration. Reuters
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Nepal bans 3 Indian climbers for faking Everest summit
KATHMANDU (TIP): Nepal has banned two Indian climbers and their team leader from carrying out any mountaineering expeditions in the country for six years after a probe found that they faked their Mt Everest summit in 2016. Indian mountaineers Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani Goswami received expedition certificates from the Tourism Department during the spring season of 2016 without successfully climbing the world’s highest mountain. Both the climbers received the certificates of climbing the 8,848.86m (29,032 ft) mountain by producing fake documents and pictures to claim their summit, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation on Thursday. Their certificates have been revoked, the ministry said. After receiving a complaint about the fake ascent, the ministry had formed a committee to investigate the matter. The investigation has confirmed that both of them had obtained certificates by giving false details, it said. They have been banned from ascending any mountain in Nepal for six years. The ban will be effective starting May 20, 2016, it said.
Their Indian team leader Naba Kumar Phukon, who led the expedition, has also been banned for six years starting May 20, 2016.
In New Delhi, Sports Ministry sources said that Yadav, who was recommended for the Tenzing Norgay Award last year, will not be bestowed with the honour. “Narender Singh Yadav issue is over from our side. The inquiry initiated by the ministry found that he faked about climbing Mount Everest. He submitted fake pictures,” said a sports ministry official.
Yadav was initially recommended for India’s highest adventure sports award but his name was withheld after media reports emerged of the possibility of him submitting fake documents. (TOI)
Under-Construction Bridge Collapses in Bhutan, Three Indian Workers Killed at Site
Thimphu (TIP): At least three Indian workers were killed and six other workers were missing after an under-construction bridge collapsed in Bhutan. As per a Reuters report, rescuers recovered three bodies from the site of Wangchu bridge 60 km (37 miles) south west of the capital Thimphu.
“The partially constructed bridge collapsed on Tuesday and we are still looking for missing workers,” said Lendup, a police officer overseeing the rescue operations.
“Saying prayers for the lives lost and hoping we find all missing persons safe and sound,” Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said in a twitter post.
The nationality of those missing was not immediately clear. The bridge was aimed at linking Haa district with Paro, where the Himalayan country’s international airport is located.
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Nepal protest throws life out of gear; 200 arrested
Kathmandu (TIP): At least six people, including two former ministers, were injured when police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to baton charges to break up a protest rally during a nationwide general strike that paralysed normal life in Nepal on Thursday. Over 200 leaders and cadres of the Prachanda-led NCP faction were arrested for involvement in vandalism, arson, and other prohibited activities in different parts of the country, My Republica newspaper reported, citing police. Nepal Communist Party (NCP) splinter faction-led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda called for the protests to oppose the appointment of office bearers and members of various constitutional bodies by PM KP Sharma Oli-led caretaker government.
“Protesters tried to vandalise cars and a police van, forcing police to resort to mild force in which six people including two police personnel were injured,” Dhanusa district administrator Bandhu Prasad Bastola said.
Two former ministers, Ram Chadra Jha and Matrika Yadav, who are also senior leaders of the rival faction of the ruling party, were among the injured in Dhanusa.
Police said at least 157 people were detained across the country to curb the violence.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed as many as 32 office bearers to 11 constitutional bodies on Wednesday morning. The Prachanda-led faction has alleged that they were appointed unconstitutionally. The caretaker government has no right to make new appointments or reshuffle the cabinet, he said. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after Oli, known for his pro-China leanings, in a surprise move dissolved Parliament, amidst a tussle for power with Prachanda. — Agencies
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Nepal never accepts interference in domestic politics: Foreign Minister Gyawali
New Delhi / kathmandu (TIP): Nepal does not accept interference in its domestic politics as it is capable of handling its internal problems, Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Saturday, in comments that came against the backdrop of China wading into the political turmoil in the Himalayan nation following the dissolution of its parliament. Gyawali’s assertion came at a media interaction when asked about China’s attempt to play a role in the aftermath of fast-paced political developments in Nepal last month.
“We never accept interference in our domestic politics. We are able to settle our own problems. As a close neighbour, there may be some concerns or questions but we never accept interference,” the Nepalese foreign minister said. Nepal plunged into a political turmoil following Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s sudden decision to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections in view of internal feud in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).
As the crisis deepened, China rushed a high-level team headed by Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guo Yezhou to Kathmandu to hold talks with the rival factions within the NCP after the Chinese ambassador in the country failed to sort out differences.
The team held talks with almost all top Nepalese leaders but had to return empty handed. The Chinese meddling in Nepalese political developments triggered strong criticism within Nepal.
Gyawali said Nepal’s relations with both India and China are excellent and that it never compares ties with each other. Asked about the political crisis and role of NCP leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal who is popularly known as Prachanda, Gyawali refused to make any direct comment and said as foreign minister of the country, he represents everyone in Nepal. At the same time, the Nepalese foreign minister justified Oli’s decision to dissolve parliament saying he followed the democratic principle of seeking fresh mandate from the people whose decisions are supreme in a democracy. “In democracy, people are the final authority to decide about who will govern. PTI
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Nepal Foreign Minister Gyawali embarks on three-day India visit
Kathmandu (TIP): Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on Thursday embarked on a three-day visit to India during which he will attend the 6th meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission and discuss the entire gamut of relations, including COVID-19 cooperation and border disputes, with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.
Gyawali is the senior-most political leader from Nepal to visit India after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli triggered a border row last year by publishing a new political map that showed the three Indian territories — Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh — as part of Nepal. The Joint Commission is the highest mechanism between the two countries to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations.
During the meeting, the two countries are scheduled to hold discussions on various issues including bilateral trade, energy, border disputes and COVID-19 assistance. The Joint Commission meeting “will discuss the whole gamut of Nepal-India bilateral relations, including trade, transit, energy, boundary, COVID-19 cooperation, infrastructure, connectivity, investment, agriculture, tourism, culture, among others,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement earlier. During his visit, Foreign Minister Gyawali will also meet with the high-level dignitaries of India, the Foreign Ministry said here.
Gyawali is being accompanied by Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Poudyal and Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population Laxmi Aryal, according to officials.
After Nepal released the map last year, India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioning Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. India said that Nepal’s action violated an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks. PTI
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Indian Origin Hotelier in Nepal Arrested for Drug Trafficking
KATHMANDU (TIP): An Indian Origin hotelier in Nepal who was wanted by the Interpol, was arrested on February 3rd, on charges of drug trafficking. Mashkoor Ahmad Lari was arrested from the Maharajgunj area of Kathmandu, said a senior police officer at the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Office.
The police were searching for the hotelier after drugs were found inside a package dispatched by him from Kathmandu to the Netherlands during a security check at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport, the police said.
Mr Lari is the owner of Kathmandu’s five-star Everest Hotel which was closed the building developed major cracks in the 2015 earthquakes.
He has been operating the hotel in Kathmandu for the last 30 years.
The police have filed a case for trafficking drugs against Mr Lari in the Kathmandu District Court after taking him into custody.