Cops from the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) arrested Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) lawmaker Gupta from his residence at Bank Road, Siddharthanagar Municipality-5 after making two other arrests in connection with the kidnapping.[break]
The arrest of Akash Lama of Kavre and Jit Bahadur Gole alias Bikash Lama of Padampokhari, Hetauda, led police to Gupta. The duo confessed in their statement to police that Gupta had masterminded the crime.
A source at MPCD confirmed that Gupta played a central role in the kidnapping and was the recipient of Rs 8.5 million that Sanghai’s family members paid in ransom to secure his release.
Of the ransom amount Gupta paid Lama and Gole Rs 400,000 each. Police have recovered Rs 355,000 from Lama and Rs 200,000 from Gole.
“Gupta’s arrest lays bare the connection of politics and crime in the country,” said a senior officer at MPCD, adding, “It shows where our country stands.”
By the time this report was filed, Gupta was being brought to Kathmandu in a reserved public jeep. The jeep left Bhairahawa at 6 pm and was expected to arrive in Kathmandu by 3 am Tuesday.
A police official said more than 15 people were involved in the kidnapping.
Sanghai, who lives in Dillibazaar, was kidnapped in the wee hours of December 22 last year from Kamaladi Ganeshthan temple while he was there to offer prayers.
The kidnappers, using an Indian number, demanded Rs 50 million in ransom from Sanghai’s family members for his release, a cop involved in the investigation said.
Before police could trace the kidnappers and secure his release, Sanghai returned home on his own on January 11 after his family members paid Rs 8.5 million in ransom.
Police said the kidnappers kept Sanghai captive for 20 days in a house at Sarsyunkharka, Kavre.
“We have informed the speaker about the arrest,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Devendra Subedi, chief of MPCD.
Speaker Subas Nembang said he has been informed by phone about the arrest.
“I have been informed by police by phone about the arrest,” said Nembang. “Since the arrest has just taken place, police have not been able to inform me in writing. I have been informed that the written information will arrive soon,” he added.
Police can arrest lawmakers on criminal charges even when a parliamentary session is under way. But they have to inform the speaker about the arrest.
Gupta was appointed Constituent Assembly (CA) member by the cabinet in 2008 without consent from his party. Following an intra-party dispute, party members sought cancellation of his CA membership from the Supreme Court (SC).
Gupta lost CA membership after a division bench of the court sacked him from the post. But he was reinstated as CA member on November 3 last year when a three-member bench of SC Justices Kalyan Shrestha, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Baidyanath Upadhyay overruled a nine-month-old verdict to sack him.
Gupta’s son was to marry on Wednesday
SHER BAHADUR KC
BUTWAL: While police were surrounding Gupta’s residence to arrest him, he was writing names of invitees on invitation cards printed for his eldest son’s marriage slated for Wednesday.
“Suddenly police appeared, surrounded the house and took him saying they had some business to settle,” said Rakesh, the to-be groom. The arrest took place at 3:45 pm. Police immediately took Gupta to Lumbini Zonal Police Office. After being kept at the office for some time, Gupta was put in a vehicle and driven to Kathmandu.
Gupta had traveled to Bhairahawa from Kathmandu last Friday for the marriage. Rakesh’s marriage has been arranged with a girl from a businessman’s family in Benaras, India. The bride and her relatives have been invited to Bhairahawa for the marriage.
Gupta was elected member of parliament in the 1991 parliamentary election from Rupandehi-5 representing Nepal Sadbhawana Party. However, he never won any subsequent election. In the Constituent Assembly election of 2008, he contested from Rupandehi-7 and lost after garnering just around 4,000 votes. His party workers say he spent a lot of money during the election.
Gupta collected some five million rupees from youths in Marchawar area of Rupandehi promising to send them to Israel. The youths were never sent to Israel and Gupta did not return their money for a long time. But after becoming minister for supplies, he paid them back.
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