Police on Thursday evening arrested renowned businessman Roop Jyoti and his daughter Suruchi Jyoti from Tribhuvan International Airport for their alleged involvement in a fraud case.

A team from Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range arrested Jyoti, a former assistant minister for finance, and his daughter after they deboarded a Silk Air flight from Singapore at around 8:30pm.

“Jyoti along with other accused were presented in Kathmandu District Court on Friday seeking permission to keep them in custody for seven days to further investigation. However, the court has approved only three days of judicial custody period,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati, spokesperson for Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range. “Jyoti faces charges of collecting advance payment from homebuyers’ for houses in a yet-to-be-built housing complex in Kathmandu.”

An FIR was lodged against those involved in the fraud case; however, police have made only two arrests so far. “The investigation is ongoing and we will take appropriate actions against others if they are proved guilty,” added Bogati. “Police arrested Suruchi as she was also one of the operators of the construction company involved in the fraud.”

In December last year, the police had issued an arrest warrant against Jyoti based on complaints filed by Bikendra Krishna Malla. The complaint stated that Jyoti was involved in a housing fraud worth Rs27.6 million.

However, Jyoti had immediately filed a writ against the arrest warrant and had obtained a stay order from the court. He had then issued a statement denying any involvement or connection with the housing and real estate company that has been accused of swindling customers on its housing project.

Almost a year after on Tuesday, a division bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Sumsher Rana and Justice Prakash Dhungana had vacated the stay order.

Roop Jyoti is Vice-Chairman of Jyoti Group of Companies, a prominent business house of Nepal. The group invests in iron, steel, textile and tourism sector, among others. Roop Jyoti served as the assistant finance minister during the reign of former king Gyanendra Shah.