The District Attorney Office Kathmandu on Wednesday filed criminal cases at District Court Kathmandu against 30 individuals including former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and former home minister Bal Krishna Khand allegedly involved in the Bhutanese refugee scam.

The attorney office said that all of them have been prosecuted for four types of crimes—treason, organised crime, fraud and forgery.

“We have sought additional penalties in the case of the public officials including former ministers, secretaries and the appointees in public offices and government employees,” said Mahesh Prasad Khatri, district attorney at the District Attorney Office, Kathmandu. “We have sought additional penalties for treason compared to non-public office holders.”

According to the chargesheet, besides Rayamajhi and Khand, Indrajeet Rai, security advisor to former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, suspended government secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, former lawmaker Ang Tawa Sherpa, Bhutanese human rights leader Tek Nath Rijal, Rayamajhi’s son—Sandeep Rayamajhi, middlemen Keshav Prasad Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Sandesh Sharma, Ram Sharan KC, Shumsher Miya, Tanka Kumar Gurung, Sagar Rai, Narendra KC, and Govinda Chaudhary have been prosecuted. All of them are currently in police custody.

Likewise, other accused that are on the run, including Prateek Thapa, who is the son of former home minister Thapa, Keshav Tuladhar, Laxmi Maharjan, Dhiren Rai, Mohan Raj Rai, Deepa Humagain, Sunil Budhathoki, Binita Saoden Limbu, Niranjan Kumar Kharel, Hari Bhakta Maharjan, Ashok Pokharel, Rajesh Aryal, Niraj Rai and Ashish Budhathoki have also been prosecuted on same charges.

They have been charge-sheeted for collecting Rs288.17 million from 115 victims—ranging from Rs200,000 to Rs4.8 million—promising them to send to the US in disguise of Bhutanese refugees.

Of the defendants, Rayamajhi has now been suspended from his position as a party secretary of the CPN-UML. Likewise, Khand is a central working committee member of the ruling Nepali Congress.