Nepal Police’s initial findings show that those who allegedly forged passports and went to Japan with Leela Ballav Adhikari, who resigned as the minister for internal affairs and law of Koshi Province on Wednesday, had paid Rs1 million each to attend an event in Tokyo.

Three Nepalis, who reportedly posed themselves as provincial ministry staff, had travelled to Japan with Adhikari, a provincial assembly member from the CPN-UML.

Adhikari, who was elected from Morang 2 (b), submitted his resignation to Koshi Chief Minister Hikmat Karki on Wednesday after he was accused of being involved in human trafficking.

He is also accused of visiting Japan without taking permission from the chief minister and notifying the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu.

“During an initial interrogation with the suspects, we found that they had paid Rs1 million to participate in the cultural event, which was to be held in Tokyo, Japan,” a Nepal Police official investigating the case told the Post. “After participating in the function, three of them were planning to stay there.”

The official, however, said it was yet to be ascertained who they gave the money to and whether lawmaker Adhikari was involved in the dealings.

According to the police official, they were deported from Tokyo airport and sent back to Kathmandu after the Japanese immigration officer suspected their motive behind visiting the country.

After deportation, the three people who had used forged passports were arrested when they landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport, a police officer said.

The police also arrested three other people from Kathmandu in suspicion of their involvement in the case based on the information provided by those caught in the airport. However, Adhikari has not been booked so far.

The District Police Range Kathmandu is investigating the case. “We are now investigating the case of travel documents forgery,” Nabaraj Adhikari, spokesperson for the Police Range, told the Post. “Further information will be revealed after the investigation is concluded.”

The police are also investigating if the former minister was also involved in forging documents to traffic Nepalis to Japan.

The group responsible for sending them to Japan apparently created fake documents and presented them at the airport before flight. However, the investigating officers said the details are yet to be dug out.

Chief Minister Hikmat Karki of Koshi said they had already taken action against Adhikari by making him resign from the ministerial position as he had not followed the due process before visiting Japan.

Karki also claimed that the party's disciplinary committee had already taken note of the case, and further action would be taken against him if found guilty.

“The first action against him was his resignation from the ministerial position,” Karki told the Post. “A further action will be determined if the state agency finds him guilty.”

Chief Minister Karki said Adhikari had contacted him the day before he travelled to Japan and had described his trip as a personal visit.

“I had suggested he complete the due process before he set out,” Karki told the Post. “However, he didn’t give it a heed.”

Rajendra Gautam, the publicity department head of the UML, also said that the party will thoroughly look into Adhikari’s case and take definite action against him if he is found guilty.

After submitting his resignation on Wednesday, Adhikari held a press conference to claim that he was not guilty.

“I travelled alone to attend the function to be held in Tokyo Metropolitan City,” Adhikari told journalists. “However, three Nepalis joined me in Hong Kong transit and were identified as staff from my office [ministry]. They were planning to hide in Japan after attending the cultural event. Thinking that being involved in such an act would be a betrayal to the country, I returned to Kathmandu soon after reaching Tokyo.”

Adhikari claimed that he had returned from Japan as it was impossible for him to return from Hong Kong transit and that he didn’t attend the event for it would have given other Nepali visitors a chance to hide there.