1,385 loan shark cases settled through mutual understanding

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 10: The government has said that 1,385 of 23,948 complaints related to loan shark cases (unfair transaction) have been resolved through mutual agreement, according to Unfair Transaction (Loan Sharks) related Probe Commission.   

The Commission, which was formally established on April 3, 2023, and began working since April 9, has collected the highest number of complaints from Bara with 3,322 complaints. Likewise, it received 2,920 complaints from Siraha, 2,615 from Dhanusha, 2,336 from Mahottari and 2,078 from Rautahat districts.  

The government had formed the three-member committee led by former judge of Special Court Gauri Bahadur Karki with former AIG Uttam Raj Subedi and former Deputy Attorney General, Ganesh Babu Aryal, as members. 

To settle the 1,385 cases, the Commission held discussions on 3,339 cases, according to the statistics provided by the Commission. Of the total cleared complaints, the highest 249 cases were settled in Sarlahi. 

According to the record, of the total settled cases (1,385 complaints), it has been found that a transaction of Rs. 765 million was made between the landlords and debtors in different time periods. However, while investigating into 1,385 cases, the landlords have sought Rs. 1.38 billion from the debtors as their amount to be recovered, according to the data. 

For the clearance and settlement of the complaints, the Commission has also formed Coordination/Facilitation Committee led by Chief District Officer and a four-member Special Support Task Force led by Assistant Chief District Officer in each district. The Support Task Force includes police officers from the District Police Office, District Attorney Officer, and a non-gazetted officer as member secretary of the Task Force. 

According to Gauri Bahadur Karki, chairman of the Commission, these two units established under the Commission will help facilitate and resolve the cases of loan sharks through mutual understanding registered at the Commission. According to him, the cases which could not be settled through the two units of the Commission would forwarded to the respective government attorney offices for legal action and hearing from there as per the recommendation made by the Commission to the government. 

"We are all in favour of not taking these cases to the court and want to settle them through mutual reconciliation," Karki said. 

According to Karki, 22 districts have not a single case of loan sharking. They are Taplejung, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Palpa, Gulmi, Rukum (East), Rukum (West), Dolpa, Humla, Mugu, Bajura, Bajhang, Dailekh, Darchula, Achham, Baitadi and Doti. 

According to province-wise details of the loan shark cases, 81 cases were settled from 784 cases registered in Koshi Province. 

The highest number of cases were registered in Sunsari with 385 cases, followed by 199 cases in Morang in Koshi Province.

In Madhes Province, out of total 18,091 cases registered, 1,072 cases have so far been settled. 

Similarly, in Bagmati Province, of 1267 cases, 46 have been settled through mutual agreement. 

The highest number of complaints with 531 cases were registered in Makwanpur district, followed by 478 cases in Kathmandu. 

In Gandaki Province, out of 175 cases, 51 have been settled. The highest number of 98 cases were registered in Kaski, followed by 21 cases in Nawalparasi (East). In Lumbini Province, a total of 3,220 cases have been registered and of them, 115 have been settled. The highest 1,902 cases were registered in Nawalparasi (West) with settlement of just eight cases. 

Likewise, in Karnali Province, out of 151 registered cases, 12 have been settled. Of them, the highest number was registered in Surkhet with 134 cases and 10 have been settled there. In Sudurpaschim Province, out of 260 total cases, eight have been settled. Only three districts - Dadeldhura, Kailali and Kanchanpur - have loan shark cases in the province and of them, the highest number of cases were registered in Kaillai at 245 cases, and of them eight have so far been settled in Kailai.