Kathmandu, July 13: Police have arrested former Maoist commander Lahanu Chaudhary on charges of defrauding 26 job seekers of nearly Rs. 25 million by promising them lucrative employment opportunities in Canada.
A team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office arrested Chaudhary from Kathmandu Metropolitan City–15 and Chandragiri Municipality–5. Originally from Kailali, he had reportedly been absconding for an extended period.
According to police, Chaudhary collected between Rs. 400,000 and Rs. 1.7 million from each victim after promising to secure well-paying jobs in Canada. Despite receiving the payments, the victims were never sent abroad. When the victims demanded refunds, the cheques issued to them reportedly bounced, prompting them to file complaints with the Department of Foreign Employment.
Following the department’s request, police intensified their search and eventually arrested Chaudhary. Police said he will be handed over to the Department of Foreign Employment for further legal action.
During preliminary questioning, Chaudhary claimed that he had been unable to refund the money because the manpower company he operated had gone out of business. He denied having any intention to defraud the victims. Police, however, said the investigation is ongoing and that all aspects of the case are being examined.
The case has once again highlighted the risks of foreign employment fraud, with authorities urging job seekers to use only authorised recruitment agencies and follow official procedures when seeking employment abroad. #nepal
