Younger brother of Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa is in police custody on charge of extortion.
Naresh Thapa reported to the court after an extortion case was lodged charging him of threatening contractors in connivance with jailed gangster Samir Man Singh Basnet.
Chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) DIG Niraj Bahadur Shahi told Setopati that a case has been filed at the Kathmandu District Court charging him of making efforts for criminal benefits after his involvement in extorting contractors threatening them of 'any consequence' for not coughing up money.
Naresh is in CIB custody for the past three days. "The charge of taking criminal benefits is under organized crime which is attracted if two or more individuals are seen to be involved in a crime," Shahi explained.
The police had received complaints via the Home Ministry accusing Naresh of extorting 25 contractors. The CIB lodged case against the minister's brother after Pawan Khadka and Suren Nagarkoti arrested a month back by the CIB took his name.
Gangster Basnet is currently in the Central Jail for masterminding murder of Federation of Contractors’ Associations of Nepal Sharad Gauchan at Shantinagar, Kathmandu on October 9, 2017. The police have accused Naresh of extorting contractors in connivance with Basnet.
