Fraud dupes banks of millions

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Police have uncovered a series of frauds in Kathmandu and elsewhere leading to the arrest of the mastermind Ishwori Prasad Pokharel today.

His modus operandi was simple. He called bank CEOs, identified himself as UCPN-Maoist leader Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’, Janardan Sharma ‘Prabhakar’ or ANNISU-R’s Himal Sharma, and sought hefty amounts ‘for party work’.

SSP Madhav Prasad Nepal said a special intelligence squad had launched a manhunt to nab Pokharel (32) from Torbang of Pyuthan ever since he telephoned Kamal Gyawali, KIST Bank CEO under the guise of Janardan Sharma and requested the banker to deposit Rs 1.2 million in account holder Biplav’s name in the Bank of Kathmandu.

“Pokharel had opened an account in the Bank of Kathmandu in the name of Biplav,” he revealed. “We have also found a Nabil Bank account in the name of Himal Sharma.” KIST Bank had lodged a complaint with police on the basis of information that somebody else had defrauded it of Rs 1.2 million in the name of Prabhakar.

A team led by DSP Hridaya Thapa nabbed him from Kalanki today. He had also procured forged citizenship certificates of Biplav and Himal Sharma to carry out the fraud.

Primary investigation suggested that Pokharel had managed to fleece Rs 1.2 million from KIST Bank CEO Gyawali, Rs 5 lakhs from Nepalgunj-based Madhyamanchal Gramin Bikas Bank, Rs 4.5 lakhs from Karnali Bikas Bank and Rs 9.5 lakhs from NMB Bank. “We believe the arrest will lead many others to lodge complaints with police,” said DSP Thapa.

He had called Everest Bank, Nepal Bangladesh Bank, Mahesh Murarka of Pashupati Paints, Butwal-based Siddhartha Finance, Mega Bank, Lumbini Bank, Janata Bank, Triveni Bikas Bank, Narayani Mega Finance, Shine Development Bank, Debit and Credit Bank, Hetauda-based Neighbourhood Society Service Centre, Nepal Investment Bank, Nawalparasi-based Butwal Cement Udhyog, Kamal Jain of Hill Tank, Butwal Finance Company and Nepal Gas Company for money up to Rs 2 million.

“We detained him before he could fleece them in the

name of Maoist leaders,” said DSP Thapa. He claims that he was in Indian army and was abducted by Maoists while on vacation in Nepal.