Nepal's ex-Deputy PM Top Bahadur Rayamajhi arrested for involvement in fake Bhutan refugee scam

Nepal's former deputy prime minister and a senior leader of the CPN-UML Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who had been absconding since the court issued an arrest warrant against him two weeks ago in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, was arrested here on Sunday, police said.

Rayamajhi was arrested from Budhanilkantha area, about 10-km south of Kathmandu. ''Former deputy prime minister and a senior leader of the CPN-UML Top Bahadur Rayamajhi has been arrested today (Sunday). He was absconding after the authorities issued a arrest warrant against him in connection to the Bhutan Refugee scam,''a senior police officer said.

Rayamajhi is the second high profile leader arrested in connection to Bhutan Refugee scam. Prior to him, former home minister and influential leader of Nepali Congress Bal Krishna Khand was on Wednesday arrested for his alleged involvement in the scam.

Under the scam, Nepali nationals were sent to the United States by forging fake documents of them being Bhutanese refugees.

According to media reports, an audio tape was released in which Arzu Rana Deuba, wife of former Prime Minister Deuba, and Khand's wife, Manju Khand, are accused of receiving millions of rupees from victims of this scam.

Rayamajhi's son Sandip has already been arrested. With this the total number of 13 people have been arrested in the fake refugee scandal, with others being not being as high profile as Khand and Rayamajhi.