A Kathmandu court has handed down prison sentences to two former high-ranking officials for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that illegally presented Nepali citizens as Bhutanese refugees to secure resettlement in the United States.
The district court in the Nepalese capital sentenced former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi to four years in prison and imposed a fine of 40,000 Nepalese rupees, approximately $260. His co-defendant, former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, received a two-year prison term and a fine of 20,000 rupees, or around $130.
Judge Tej Bahadur Khadka found 15 defendants guilty on charges of fraud, organized crime, and offenses against the state, with one additional individual convicted solely of fraud. The case was initially brought by prosecutors in May 2023.
Tek Narayan Pandey, who served as home secretary during the period of the alleged scheme, was also sentenced to four years in prison and fined 40,000 rupees.
A court official, Shiva Khatiwada, stated that the full verdict document is expected to be available within seven to ten days, though standard court practice allows up to 21 days for release. Under Nepalese law, when a defendant is convicted of multiple crimes, the longest sentence is applied in full, with only half of the second-longest term added, rather than combining all penalties.
Khand was released on bail in December 2023, while Rayamajhi remains in custody. Both individuals have the option to appeal the district court’s ruling to the high court.
“Those already detained will continue to be held. For those whose sentences are covered by time served or who have paid their fines, they will be eligible for release,” Khatiwada explained.
Rayamajhi’s lawyer, Dharma Raj Regmi, asserted his client’s innocence, saying, “He was never a decision-maker. He is innocent. We are awaiting the full court text and will file an appeal in the high court.” Khand did not respond to requests for comment but has previously denied involvement in the scheme.
Between 2007 and 2016, more than 113,500 Bhutanese refugees were resettled in eight countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, under one of the largest group resettlement programs globally, as reported by the United Nations refugee agency.