Full Breakdown
Nepal Courts Sentences Former Ministers for Refugee Document Forgery
7/15/2026, 8:48:44 AM
Sentencing of Former Ministers
A Kathmandu district court sentenced former Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi to four years in prison for offences against the state, fraud and involvement in organised crime. Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand received a two-year term as an accomplice. Fourteen additional individuals—including a former senior Home Ministry bureaucrat and a former Bhutanese refugee leader—were given sentences of up to four years. The verdicts were delivered on 14 July 2026, with Rayamajhi in custody and Khand out on bail.
Background of the Bhutanese Refugee Resettlement Scheme
Since the early 1990s, roughly 120,000 Bhutanese nationals of Nepali origin have fled Bhutan and taken refuge in Nepal. Under a third-country resettlement programme, about 113,000 have been relocated to the United States, Canada, Australia and other Western nations. Washington alone has accepted around 100,000 refugees from Nepal. The alleged scam, uncovered in 2023 after the two ministers had left office, involved forging documents to present Nepali nationals as Bhutanese refugees eligible for U.S. resettlement.
Official Statements from Defendants’ Lawyers
Lawyer Dharma Raj Regmi, representing Rayamajhi, asserted that his client “never involved in policy making for the refugees” and announced an intention to appeal the judgment. Similarly, Pankaj Karna, counsel for Khand, confirmed that his client will also pursue an appeal.
Criticism and Government Response
The newly elected, Gen Z-led administration of Prime Minister Balendra Shah—a former rapper turned politician—has pledged a crackdown on alleged corruption tied to previous governments. The convictions are presented as a signal that the current government will pursue accountability for past misconduct.
Verbatim Quotes
- “never involved in policy making for the refugees” — Dharma Raj Regmi, Lawyer for Rayamajhi
- “Shah has pledged to crack down on alleged corruption under previous administrations.” — Balendra Shah, Prime Minister
- “The district court in Kathmandu jailed former deputy prime minister and Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi for four years for offences against the state, fraud and involvement in organised crime.” — Court document
- “It also sentenced former home minister Bal Krishna Khand to two years in jail as an accomplice, a court document showed.” — Court document
