The District Police Office, Morang on Sunday arrested the alleged mastermind of a gang that reportedly swindled over three dozen persons out of millions of rupees by promising them employment in Japan under ‘Rajbanshi quota’. Rajbanshi are an ethnic minority group in eastern Nepal.

A team from the District Police Office detained Ajay Kumar Rajbanshi, 35, from his residence at Sunbarshi Municipality-6, Morang, on Sunday. The suspect was arrested based on several complaints lodged by the victims.

Preliminary police investigation shows that he collected around Rs25.3 million from around 40 Rajbanshi youths. The suspect telephoned his relatives, neighbours and other people of his community in Morang and Jhapa districts from Japan a year ago and promised them jobs in Japan under ‘Rajbanshi quota.’ Ajay set up a racket and collected money from the victims.

“The victims filed a complaint at the district police against six people including Ajay. Detailed investigation is underway,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Ranjan Kumar Dahal. Police had detained Ajay’s father Bisham Lal Rajbanshi, but he was released without bail. Other accused including Ranjit Kumar Rajbanshi, Pramod Kumar Rajbanshi, Bidya Kumari Rajbanshi and Anuradha Rajbanshi are on the run. Search is on to nab them for investigation, said police.

Ajay, who stayed in Japan for four years, had returned to Nepal a month ago. Soon after his arrest, the police presented him at the court. The Morang district court has remanded him to five days in judicial custody for investigation.

One of the victims, Anil Rajbanshi of Kanepokhari Rural Municipality-2, Morang, was promised by Ajay a job in Japan under the non-existent ‘Rajbanshi quota’. Anil paid Rs600,000 to Bidya Rajbanshi as instructed by Ajay. Anil stayed in Biratnagar and learned the Japanese language for four months. He also learned to drive and obtained a passport, but was crestfallen upon learning only lately that he had been scammed.

“I talked to Ajay on [Facebook] Messenger. He promised me employment in Japan. I had planned to go to Malaysia, but changed my mind after he [Ajay] convinced me. He swindled me,” said Anil.

It is learned that all the victims are from the Rajbanshi community except two youths, who are Brahmin and Newar. They told the police that Ajay made a similar promise that he would send them to Japan under a ‘special Rajbanshi quota’.