Durga Prasai arrested in Pokhara

Pokhara, January 19

Medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai has been arrested in Pokhara.

Prasai, who has announced various protest programmes ranging from election boycotts to other movements and has even entered into agreements with the government, is accused of making serious allegations against the Election Commission, planning to hack government websites to steal data, and investing money in such criminal activities.

An audio recording had earlier been made public in which Prasai allegedly claimed that a faction linked to the Nepali Congress’s special general convention had given Rs 520 million to the Election Commission. In the same recording, he is heard discussing plans to invest money to hack government websites and steal data.

The Election Commission had corresponded with authorities seeking his arrest and investigation. Prasai, who is also the coordinator of the Nationality, Religion, Culture and Citizen Protection Campaign, had arrived in Pokhara on Monday for a programme.

Acting on a letter requesting that he be arrested and presented before the District Police Range, Kathmandu, the Kaski Police arrested him.

Prasai had publicly stated that a Nepali Congress special general convention faction paid Rs 520 million to the Commission to influence election results, and he had also posted a video making the same claim on social media.

The medical entrepreneur has been travelling across the country holding programmes in the name of the Citizen Protection Campaign and, in recent times, has been active in pro-monarchy campaigns. He had previously been arrested in connection with the Tin Kune incident while leading protests demanding the restoration of the monarchy.

After his release from prison, Prasai’s role during the Gen Z movement was also viewed with suspicion. At the time, the Nepali Army had even invited him to talks, referring to him as a stakeholder in the movement.

After failing to capitalise on the Gen Z movement, Prasai has continued to make statements against the government led by Sushila Karki and has been running a campaign calling for an election boycott. Repeatedly arrested and released, Prasai has once again been taken into police custody following his statements and the alleged plan to steal government data.

After the Election Commission sent a letter seeking to bring him under legal action, another audio recording allegedly detailing his plan to steal government data was also made public. Kaski Police spokesperson and Information Officer DSP Hari Bahadur Basnet said preparations are underway to send Prasai to Kathmandu.

The government had signed an agreement with Prasai on Magh 2, just recently, even as he continued to organise programmes and protests in the name of the Nationality, Religion, Culture and Citizen Protection Campaign and called for an election boycott. On Kartik 26, a campaign led by Prasai had presented a 27-point demand to Home Minister Aryal. Of these, a 12-point agreement was reached between the government and Prasai, the campaign’s coordinator.

As part of the agreement, the government had said it would immediately move, through a Cabinet decision, to initiate the process of withdrawing organised crime and criminal cases filed against Durga Prasai and others during the protests. The agreement also included a decision to form a “High-Level Constitutional Amendment Recommendation Commission” to study and submit suggestions on necessary constitutional and legal reforms concerning demands such as a Hindu state inclusive of Kirat and Buddhist religions, the abolition of the federal provincial structure, and the restoration of the monarchy.

Additionally, to provide relief to borrowers of microfinance institutions and cooperatives, the government agreed to establish a revolving fund by providing loans through the National Cooperative Authority to ensure refunds of up to Rs 100,000 to small depositors and borrowers by the end of the upcoming fiscal year.

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