Investigation underway against Mayor of Dhorpatan for misappropriation of more than Rs 1billion of Cooperatives

By Phanindra Adhikari, Leknath, Sept.30: The Mayor of the Dhorpatan Municipality Dev Kumar Nepali, who was arrested on the charges of the embezzlement of cooperative money worth Rs two billion, was taken to Baglung on Sunday night.

He was arrested in New Delhi, India, brought to Kathmandu on Saturday, and then flew to Pokhara on Sunday evening. From Pokhara Regional International Airport, the District Police Office, Baglung took the defendants by police van. 

The Police said that the co-conspirator Om Prasad Darji, arrested on the same charge, has been taken to Baglung.

 Chief Superintendent of Police Rishiram Kandel of the District Police Office, Baglung, said that the case was registered in Baglung so they were taken to Baglung for further process. 

He said, "We have brought Nepali here for investigation as the case against him has been registered him. If needed, then the District Police Office, Kaski, will take him for the investigation as well."

According to the study conducted by the Office of the Registrar of Cooperatives, Gandaki, the accounts of Rs 1.90 billion are not matched in Image Saving & Credit Cooperative Limited, Baglung. 

Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) spokesman and Superintendent of Police Hovindra Bogati said that the defendant Nepali was sent to Baglung for investigation as the case has been pending in Baglung and Kaski . 

He said, " Road is obstructed therefore the defendant Nepali was flown to Pokhara. From that, he will be taken to Baglung and the investigation will proceed from there."

The misappropriation of money worth Rs 648 million is observed at the Image Saving & Credit Cooperative Limited, Kaski.

The District Police Office, Kaski, a case has been registered to 15 people and six of them have already been arrested. Four of them are released on bail and two others are in pre-trial detention. 

It has been revealed that Mayor Nepali worked as the Vice-president of Surya Darshan Saving And Credit Co-operative Limited on the report of the parliamentary special committee formed to probe the cooperatives scam.

It also has been revealed that Nepali started two other cooperatives under the same name in Pokhara and Baglung after not being able to lead the Surya Darshan Cooperatives started by GB Rai. 

An eight-storey hotel in the village, with a helipad on the roof of the hotel. 

Dev Kumar owns buildings like a royal palace, and many plots of land in Baglung, Pokhara, and Kathmandu.

After the trial on co-operative fraud charges, he himself has made public the details of his properties.