The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has summoned Sajha Yatayat Cooperative Chairman Kanak Mani Dixit and his wife Shanta Dixit as what it calls “part of investigation into matters related to foreign exchange”.

Publishing a public notice in the name of the Dixits in Gorkhapatra, the DRI has asked the duo to appear before the DRI immediately. “Otherwise, the DRI would take action against them as per the prevailing law,” the notice reads.

The latest move from the DRI comes almost three months after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arrested Dixit on the charge of amassing “disproportionate amount of property against his income” and parking a large amount of money in the banks abroad by misusing his post of chairman of Sajha Yatayat. Dixit, also a journalist and rights activist, who was arrested by the CIAA on April 22 was released on May 2 following the Supreme Court order. Dixit, however, has maintained that charges against him by the CIAA were motivated by personal vendetta. According to the DRI, it had first sent a letter to Dixit couple asking them to appear before the DRI within seven days on June 27.

After failing to hand over the notice to Dixits in person, the DRI had handed it over to their son Ilam Dixit. According to the notice, the Dixits have been asked to be present before the DRI as part of its investigation into “matters related to foreign exchange”. According to the DRI, after the Dixits failed to appear before court even by July 11, and they could not be contacted through phone, a police team was mobilised on July 12 from the Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, to apprehend them.

According to Devi Prasad Thapaliya, information officer at the DRI, the department has initiated a probe on Dixit couple for matters related to foreign exchange misappropriation and tax evasion “as the owners of various companies”. The DRI notice, however, mentions nothing about the tax evasion charges. Dixit could not be contacted for the comment.