MONEY, FIRE, and FLIGHT: The case against the Deuba family
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MONEY, FIRE, and FLIGHT: The case against the Deuba family
The law of karma spares no one. Whether it is KP Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, or anyone else, they must all taste the fruit of their own actions. Many VIPs, believing they were protected by a corrupt government, thought themselves immune to the laws of the nation. But they forgot that karma will find them when their pot is full of sin. Now, it seems that the time has come for many of them to face the consequences of their deeds.
Nepal Police have been searching for Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. However, while hiding abroad, he appears to be trying to destroy his own party. Deuba has caused such turmoil within the Nepali Congress that leaders and workers fear the party could split at any moment. Party insiders say Deuba has pushed forward his loyalist, Purna Bahadur Khadka, to finish off the Congress party.
Deuba initially went to Singapore under the pretext of medical treatment. But reports suggest he traveled from there to Hong Kong. Informed sources say Deuba’s foreign escape appears suspicious. Currently, the Deuba faction is creating chaos within the party, and Deuba himself, staying abroad, has been running a campaign to split the party from a distance.
Deuba announced his removal as president and handed the position of acting president to Purna Bahadur Khadka. But what happened to Khadka after he received that responsibility? He has been unable to sit still, intoxicated by the position. The Gagan Thapa faction has accused Khadka of forgery for issuing a press release on official letterhead claiming he was acting president. As a result, he has been given a one-week ultimatum to explain his actions.
The Disciplinary Committee issued a decision stating: "By using a fake letterhead of the Nepali Congress and claiming a responsibility he does not hold, and by issuing an unauthorized press release on March 30, 2023, stating that he is in charge of the party, former Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka has acted against the party’s statute. Therefore, as per Article 34(8) (d) of the Nepali Congress statute (with 2017 amendments), he has been asked to provide an explanation within seven days."
Khadka, who considers himself the acting president, has refused to respond, saying he will wait for the Supreme Court’s decision. He has already declared the special convention of supporters unconstitutional. But is it right for someone to go to court themselves and then declare something legal or illegal? Is that fair? Congress workers are asking these questions. Though it appears Khadka is taking a stand, party leaders say that behind all this, it is Deuba who is pulling the strings.
Indeed, Deuba is so stubborn that even after barely surviving the Gen Z movement, his arrogance has not cooled. That is why he keeps picking fights with his own party members. However, Deuba also cannot ignore the advice of his wife, Arzu Rana. After Arzu mediated a reconciliation, Khadka—who had been eyeing the acting presidency—sprang into action. Khadka, who treats the Congress party like his private company, has refused to accept the special convention called by the majority of convention representatives. That is why he is directly challenging Congress workers.
The establishment faction accuses leaders including President Deuba and Khadka of causing the Congress party’s shameful defeat in the elections. The faction believes the party lost because the Deuba faction did not even show up to contest the elections. The establishment faction is now preparing to take selective action against those who did not cooperate. Looking at the chaos within Congress, a split into two factions seems imminent. The party has split before due to Deuba’s actions, and now similar symptoms are visible once again.
Arrest warrant issued against the Deuba couple
After an arrest warrant was issued in Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife went into hiding. They flew to Singapore after the elections and have not returned to Nepal. Moreover, after the warrant was issued, police began searching for them—but have not been able to locate them. In effect, they have gone underground.
On March 25, police obtained an arrest warrant for the Deuba couple from the court. Back home, Home Minister Sudhan Gurung has repeatedly sought briefings from the police chief about the couple. But police have not been able to provide any information regarding their status or whereabouts.
After the Gen Z movement, the Deuba couple first flew to Singapore on October 10. Former Prime Minister Deuba and then Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba were brutally beaten at their own home on August 24, nearly to the point of death. After the incident, they stayed in Nepal for treatment. Then, on October 10, they flew to Singapore for further treatment.
After returning to Nepal, they flew again to Singapore on February 13. News was published that they traveled from there to Hong Kong on March 7. Back home, there is no trace of them. Just as the cooperative fraudster GB Rai has gone missing, the Deuba couple has also disappeared from the radar. Whether they actually went to Hong Kong or spread that news to throw others off—no one knows.
However, a high-level home ministry source says police are actively searching for information on the Deuba couple’s whereabouts and activities. The Inspector General of Police’s secretariat and a special bureau are reportedly investigating. Yet, even a week after the arrest warrant was issued, the state has not been able to obtain even a shred of information about the couple.
The Department of Money Laundering Investigation obtained an arrest warrant against them from Kathmandu District Court in connection with an investigation into illegal asset accumulation. The department requested police to arrest them, but police have made no progress. If they continue to fail, police may seek to arrest the Deuba couple via Interpol and bring them to Nepal. However, that requires meeting certain criteria, which takes time.
Interpol is not a single country’s police force. It is a network that facilitates cooperation among police agencies from about 195 countries, with its headquarters in France. Member countries exchange information to arrest criminals or accused persons through what is called a Red Notice. There are different types of Interpol notices. The Red Notice signals the apprehension of a criminal. To arrest the Deuba couple, a Red Notice would be issued. Since procedures must be completed to obtain such a notice, police are likely waiting before seeking Interpol’s help.
If the couple is arrested via Interpol and brought to Nepal, the first charge they will face is money laundering. Moreover, Arzu Rana is also expected to be investigated in connection with the Bhutanese refugee case, the Tikapur land case, and other incidents. The money laundering investigation will not be limited to the Deuba couple alone—it seems likely to reach their only son, Jayavir Deuba. In recent years, Jayavir has been criticized for misusing state power to intervene in government policies and manipulate tax rates for his own businesses, leveraging his parents’ influence.
During the Gen Z movement, the Deuba residence in Budhanilkantha was vandalized, looted, and set on fire. Crores of rupees were destroyed in the fire, and unaccounted cash was looted. When such large amounts of cash are found in a politician’s home, it seems natural to investigate the source. The Department of Money Laundering visited the house within a week of the incident and collected evidence.
Meanwhile, similar to the Deuba residence, based on burnt notes found at Deepak Khadka’s house, the department has arrested Khadka and is investigating him. As a new government was being formed after the previous elections, the Deuba couple, staying abroad, had their dilapidated house demolished.
The Deuba family reportedly hired a contractor for 3.6 million rupees to demolish the house, and demolition had begun. However, since further evidence would be destroyed if the house under investigation were demolished, the newly formed government—within two days of taking office—stopped the demolition.
The
bottom line is this: no one can escape their own karma. It follows everyone,
without exception.
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