Refugee scam: Nepal court jails two former Ministers, 14 others
A Kathmandu district court has sentenced two former Nepali government ministers to prison for their roles in a human trafficking scam involving fake Bhutanese refugees. The officials were found guilty of forging documents to facilitate illegal resettlement in the United States.
Why it matters
This verdict highlights significant corruption within the Nepali government and addresses the integrity of international refugee resettlement programs.
“A court in Nepal jailed two former government Ministers after they were found guilty of forging documents to enable Nepali nationals to be resettled in the U.S. as Bhutanese refugees,” a court document and lawyers said on Wednesday (July 15, 2026).
The district court in Kathmandu jailed former Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi to four years for offences against the state, fraud and involvement in organised crime. It also sentenced former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand to two years in jail as an accomplice, a court document showed. The rulings were handed down late on Tuesday (July 14, 2026).
Rayamajhi, who is in custody, and Khand, who is out on bail, were not available for comment. In the past they have denied any involvement in the scam.
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