Arrest Warrant Issued For Former Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba And Wife In Money Laundering Probe
KATHMANDU, Nepal — A court in Nepal has reportedly issued arrest warrants for former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation, according to local media reports.
The Kathmandu District Court approved the warrants Tuesday at the request of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, acting on an order from Judge Mahendra Khadka, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Authorities have been investigating Deuba and his wife alongside other senior political figures, including former prime ministers K.P. Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, over alleged financial crimes.
The probe gained momentum after widespread circulation of videos and images last September showing burned cash at properties linked to several political figures, including Deuba, Dahal’s daughter, and former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka. The incidents occurred during the so-called Gen-Z protest movement, when demonstrators set fire to multiple residences.
Forensic analysis later confirmed that the charred currency fragments were authentic, intensifying scrutiny and prompting a broader investigation amid initial concerns that the images might have been artificially generated.
Khadka remains in police custody as part of the inquiry.
Deuba and his wife are currently outside Nepal. The couple traveled to Singapore on February 26, reportedly for medical treatment, shortly before parliamentary elections, and have not returned. Reports indicate they later traveled to Hong Kong.
Sources cited by The Kathmandu Post said the warrants are a step toward seeking an Interpol Red Notice, which would allow authorities to detain the couple abroad and facilitate their return to Nepal.
Deuba, a dominant figure in Nepali politics for more than three decades, has served as prime minister five times and has consistently won elections from his home district of Dadeldhura since 1991. However, he did not run in the most recent parliamentary elections held March 5 after being removed as president of the Nepali Congress party earlier this year.
Following the election, the Rastriya Swatantra Party emerged as the largest force in the House of Representatives, securing close to a two-thirds majority. The new government has since intensified investigations into alleged corruption involving former officials, further complicating prospects for the Deuba couple’s return. (Source: IANS)
