Citizens’ caution necessary on refugee case: DPM Shrestha

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, June 10: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has expressed his belief that those accused in the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal could not get clean chit from the court as the case has been prosecuted with strong evidence.

DPM Shrestha made this remark while talking to a delegation of the Civil Movement at Singha Durbar on Friday afternoon. The Civil Movement leaders met the DPM and discussed the case of fake Bhutanese refugees.

On the occasion, the DPM held a meeting with Dr. Sanjeev Upreti, Keshav Sigdel, Yuvaraj Ghimire, Shishir Upreti, Raksha Bam, Prem Chalane, Pawan Thapa and others. DPM Shrestha said that the civil movement should also protest for corruption control and economic and social transformation by safeguarding political achievements.

The leaders of the movement, including Dr. Upreti, who came to the Ministry of Home Affairs to meet the DPM with written questions casting their suspicion on whether the case of the fake refugees might fail and the accused might get clean chit.  

Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha assured the leaders that further investigation regarding the refugee case would be continued.

He said some people asked him about the future and the risk after his term of the Home Minister ended. DPM Shrestha said in response, he said he would continue to fight for good governance and public service.

He also said that the government was well aware of the possibility that the case would be weakened in the absence of concrete evidence and when the accused continued altering their statements in court.