Mahendra Bhote Released in Suryadarsan Cooperative Scam Case; Gitendrababu Rai Still At Large
In the Suryadarsan cooperative scam case, UML-affiliated leader Mahendra Bhote, who was in custody, has been released on a bail of NPR 500,000 after agreeing to pay NPR 170 million as bail amount. With the approval of the Attorney General, the money laundering and organized crime case against accused including Ravi Lamichhane has been withdrawn by the court. While Gitendrababu Rai, one of the key figures in the Suryadarsan and other cooperative scams, is reportedly in Malaysia, he remains at large.
May 26, Kathmandu. Mahendra Bhote, who was imprisoned in connection with the Suryadarsan cooperative scam case operating in Pokhara, was released on Monday. He was granted release on bail after agreeing to pay a bail amount of NPR 170 million and depositing NPR 500,000. The Kaski District Court bench, presided over by Judge Himalal Belbase, ordered his release on bail. Bhote is a leader of the youth wing affiliated with the CPN-UML and had been defeated in the recent local elections for the chairmanship of Madi Rural Municipality.
The case initially demanded a compensation sum totaling NPR 1,113,443,045 to the complainants. In the Suryadarsan cooperative scam case, other accused including National Independent Party Chairman Ravi Lamichhane and former DIG Shivlal Joshi have already been released. Lamichhane was released on bail on January 18, after depositing the bail amount for compensation. Despite multiple releases of others involved in the cooperative scams, the main figure Gitendrababu Rai remains a fugitive. He is known as a chief suspect in scams relating not only to Pokhara’s Suryadarsan cooperative but also Kathmandu’s Swarnalakshmi, Butwal’s Supreme, Chitwan’s Sahara, and Parsa’s Sanopailla cooperatives.
Due to suspicions that he was residing in Malaysia, a Nepal Police team went there in 2024 seeking him, locating him at that time. However, diplomatic correspondence with the Malaysian government failed to facilitate his return to Nepal. A red notice has been issued against Rai by Interpol. It is believed that Gitendrababu Rai has invested more than NPR 100 million obtained through cooperative scams in Malaysia.
