Kathmandu: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has uncovered a scam involving fake driving licenses. Their investigation has revealed that licenses bought for amounts between Rs 35,000 and Rs 100,000 were all counterfeit.
The CIB’s report to the Kathmandu District Court, following the second phase of their probe, states that these fake licenses were distributed by corrupt officials. The police are questioning computer staff at the Transport Management Office who are suspected of issuing these fake licenses in exchange for money.
The investigation so far hasn’t included the Director General of the Department of Transport Management, who ignored the irregularities in license distribution. The police estimate that corrupt officials may have collected over Rs 10 billion from distributing these fake licenses. Middlemen, employees, and other parties were also involved. The CIB is continuing their investigation to hold everyone responsible accountable.
The investigation report reveals that 102,000 fake licenses were distributed, but only 28,000 were entered into the official computer system. The police have been unable to file charges against middlemen Saroj Pandey and Som Thapa alias Ever, as their real identities are still unknown.
The CIB has identified several officials, including Under Secretary Keshav Aryal and Officer Laxman Pandey, who allegedly abused their positions for financial gain. They were involved in falsifying records in the Transport Management Department’s system to distribute these fake licenses.
The CIB has requested further investigation into these actions as corruption. They are seeking to cancel thousands of fake licenses issued in the names of individuals who paid up to Rs 100,000 each. The CIB also revealed that Transport Management Office employees were collecting bribes through driving centers used as intermediaries.
The report also mentions that officials from various transport offices across the country collaborated in this scheme. The CIB is continuing to investigate the case and is searching for those involved who are currently evading arrest. They found that individuals like Jhawilal Bhandari, Roshan Pandey, Uday Bahadur BK, and others paid large sums for their fake licenses.
The investigation began at the request of the Department of Transport Management and has shown that over 100,000 fake licenses were issued due to misconduct by officials since 2072 BS (Bikram Sambat). An employee revealed that billions, not just millions, of rupees are involved in this scam. Some individuals previously arrested have been released on bail.
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