Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: Manoj Kumar Bhetwal, the contractor for the Kathmandu View Tower project, was arrested on Friday in connection with a banking fraud case but was promptly admitted to HAMS Hospital in Dhumbarahi, raising suspicions of preferential treatment.
According to high-level police sources, Bhetwal, who faces allegations of issuing bad checks worth approximately NPR 100 million, was placed in Cabin No. 812 at the hospital despite not requiring inpatient care. Sources suggest his hospitalization was facilitated through influential connections.
Victims handed Bhetwal over to Singha Durbar Police Circle on Friday morning. However, he was briefly released from custody, prompting complaints to higher authorities. Following the outcry, Kathmandu District Police re-arrested him later that evening.
District Police Complex spokesperson SSP Apil Raj Bohara issued a statement confirming Bhetwal’s arrest on charges of banking fraud. Earlier, AIG Tek Bahadur Tamang, head of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, had claimed no information was available regarding Bhetwal’s initial arrest status.
Police stated that Bhetwal’s custody will be extended today, Sunday, to continue the investigation. The swift hospitalization of the accused has sparked concerns among victims and observers about potential misuse of influence to evade accountability in the high-profile fraud case. Authorities have assured a thorough probe into the allegations.
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