Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, have written to the Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DMLI), saying they intend to return to Nepal within two months and urging authorities not to create obstacles that could prevent their return.

The couple, who are under investigation on suspicion of money laundering, sent separate letters to the department via email and courier from Hong Kong, according to officials familiar with the matter. In the letters, they maintain that they are innocent, have not fled the country and are currently abroad for medical treatment.

“We are acting in good faith and are fully prepared to cooperate with the investigation,” the letters addressed to the director general of DMLI state. “Narratives are being created suggesting that we have fled the country and failed to appear for questioning. We request that arrest warrants not be issued against us on that basis.” They have also sought assurances for their safe return to Nepal.

According to a department official, the letters were received by email three days ago and by courier on Monday. Copies were also forwarded to the Special Court.

“The letters state that they wish to return to Nepal within two months and request that no legal measures be taken that could create hurdles to their entry into the country,” the official said. “They argue that their reputation has been damaged by reports surrounding the money laundering investigation and insist that they are ready to assist investigators.”

Earlier, the Interpol had declined requests from Nepal Police, made at DMLI’s request, to issue Red Notices against the couple. Interpol returned the requests in the first and fourth weeks of May.

The department had obtained arrest warrants against the Deubas from the Kathmandu District Court on April 7 as part of its money laundering investigation. However, on May 25, the Supreme Court issued an interim order directing authorities not to arrest them, ruling that the warrants had effectively become inactive because offences investigated by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Court.

A senior department official said there are currently no legal impediments preventing the couple from returning to Nepal.

“Interpol has already declined to issue Red Notices and there are no active arrest warrants against them at present,” the official said. “There is nothing preventing them from travelling or returning to Nepal.”

The official added that the department has not yet decided whether to formally respond to the letters and will first consult the investigating officer handling the case.

Krishna Sharan Lamichhane, deputy registrar and spokesperson for the Special Court, said he was unaware of any such correspondence reaching the court.

“I cannot say whether it has been received by the registration section or elsewhere, but it has not come to my attention,” he said.

The Deuba couple had travelled abroad for ‘medical treatment’ after a primary check-up in Nepal. They had sustained injuries during an attack by protesters at their Budhanilakantha residence on the second day of the Gen Z uprising on September 9. They flew to Singapore on October 27 and returned to Nepal on November 24. Arzu later travelled to Singapore via Delhi on January 5, while Sher Bahadur left for Singapore in the last week of February. Although they were later reported to have been in Hong Kong, their whereabouts had not been officially confirmed.

A day after the arrest warrants were issued in April, Sher Bahadur criticised the move on social media, saying misleading claims were being circulated about his family's assets. He argued that details of their property holdings were already known to state agencies.

Because the couple was abroad when the warrants were issued, the department requested Nepal Police to seek red notice through Interpol. Police subsequently approached Interpol’s Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore.

According to senior police officials, Interpol declined both requests and sought clarification on the specific legal provisions under which the couple were being investigated, the exact offences involved and the amount of money allegedly laundered.

The department’s request had been based on an ongoing investigation into suspected illicit wealth accumulation and the arrest warrants issued by the district court.