Police on Tuesday again arrested Sulav Agrawal, the owner of Shanker Group, from the premises of Kathmandu District Court. The arrest was made immediately after the court ordered Agrawal to be released on Rs 2.5 million bail in the case of black marketeering of thermal guns.

A team from the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range arrested Agrawal and sent him to the Department of Money Laundering Investigation for further process.

“We arrested him to investigate on a money laundering charge,” said Superintendent Hobindra Bogati, spokesperson for the Police Range. “Agrawal has been sent to the Patan office of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation.”

The Kathmandu District Attorney Office had, on Tuesday, filed a case in the district court demanding one-and-a-half year imprisonment and Rs 1 million fine.

A bench of Judge Brajesh Pyakurel on Thursday ordered his release on Rs 2.55 million bail, according to Registrar Ananda Shrestha at the district court. “Agrawal was also ready to post the bail.”

On April 7, a team from the Metropolitan Police Crime Division had arrested Agrawal from Naxal for selling infrared thermometers, which cost around Rs 3,000 to 3,500 per unit, at Rs 16,000 each.

Police had confiscated 67 thermal guns, which were in high demand because of the Covid-19 pandemic, from Agrawal, also the honorary consul of Kyrgyzstan in Nepal.