A Nepali migrant worker was robbed of his hard-earned money allegedly by two of his friends in India.

According to police, Dipendra Tamang, 28, of Thulopatan, Dolakha who was working as a porter in Sikkim, India for the past four years was returning home with IRs 200,000. Tamang has accused two of his friends Ramkaji Rai and Lunga Rai of stealing the money and replacing it with a bundle of paper.

Tamang said he realized about the incident only after reaching a checkpoint in Panitanki, Nepal-India border, where the Indian Border Security Force (SSB) stopped him for a routine check. Tamang told the SSB personnel that he was carrying IRs 200,000 to which the SSB said that he cannot take that much amount in cash.

Tamang then persuaded the SSB personnel to let him pass the border by offering them some money. The SSB personnel agreed and when they reached inside Tamang’s bag to take out the money, there only a bundle of paper.

“I lost consciousness when the SSB showed me the bundle of paper,” said Tamang.

Tamang then went to Area Police Office in Kakkadvitta and gave his statement claiming that Ramkaji and Lunga stole his money. “We counted the money together the night before I was leaving for Nepal,” he said, “They must have stolen the money.”

The Rai duo had come to see off Tamang in Gangtok taxi stand. “I put my hand inside the bag and felt the bundle before leaving Gangtok,” said Tamang, “I could not believe it when the SSB took out the paper bundle instead of the money from my bag.”

Tamang had gone to Sikkim to work as a porter following the 2015 earthquake.

Kakkadvitta Police chief DSP Tanka Bhattarai informed that the police gave Rs 3,000 to Tamang as travel expense for him to return to his home.

“We have urged the Sikkim police to find the stolen money and investigate into the matter,” informed DSP Bhattarai.