Eight fake IRD officials held for collecting money

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 12: The District Police Range, Kathmandu (DPRK), arrested eight individuals on the charge of cheating businesses by faking themselves as officials 

from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). 

The individuals were arrested from New Bus Park area in Ward No. 26 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Friday. The DPRK made the arrested individuals public on Sunday.

A team from the Police Circle, Maharajgunj, had arrested the individuals, including four women, after finding about the racket’s activities. 

“The individuals, dressed as government employees, used to visit different hotels as officials from the IRD. 

They then inspected the hotels and their accounts and demanded fines on the basis of different reasons,” read a statement issued by the DPRK.

The individuals also had fake ID cards and documents of Lazimpat-based IRD office. They used to give a fake IRD receipt of the collected fine as well.

Police said that they were performing the fake activity for the past four days.

“They collected fines from hoteliers, footpath businesses, and local shops. After investigating into the arrested individual’s bank accounts and receipts, they had collected Rs. 

508,640 by cheating the businesses,” the DPRK informed.Police had received four official complaints against the racket.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Bin Bahadur BK, 29, of Nawalparasi East; Sagar Jung Luhar, 19, of Achham; Rajiv Bista, 24, of Kanchanpur; and David Dhami, 

25, of Achham.

Similarly, four of the arrested women were Srijana Bhattarai, 22, of Panchthar; Pramisha Tamang, 23, of Sindhupalchowk; Dudhkala BK, 23, of Achham; and Anjana Tamang, 21, of Nuwakot.

Police had also seized two stamps of IRD, letter pads of the department, seven ID cards of the IRD, and Rs. 84,730 in cash from the rented room of Rajiv Bista.

Also, 49 sets of fake receipts, employment agreement forms, and IRD’s letter pads were confiscated from the room of David Dhami in Thapathali, Kathmandu.

Police informed that the eight individuals are charged under Section 249 and 276 of the National Penal (Code) Act, 2017. The sections prohibit the act of cheating and forgery.

Further investigation and legal process have been initiated from Police Circle, Maharajgunj.