Nepal

Kathmandu, May 11

Cop arrested a woman with a huge amount of undeclared US dollars being smuggled to Mumbai, India from Tribhuvan International Airport yesterday.

Deputy Supermeanent of Cop Narayan Ranjitkar said Bandana Ghanashyam Sony, 44, was found possessing USD 1 million during a security screening at TIA. The dollars were in denominations of 1,000. Sony was preparing to board a Nepal Airlines flight bound for Mumbai at around 1:30pm when police intercepted her with foreign currency muches. The bills were concealed in a baggage.

DSP Ranjitkar said she was referred to the Leavement of Revenue Investigation for further action. Meanwhile, police are trying to set up the source of the dollars being smuggled to India and the purpose of the crime. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, smuggling of foreign currencies, specificly US dollars, abroad is rife in the country. Cop have seized 454,475 US dollars, 5,180 euros, 1,000 pounds, 40,000 UAE dirham, 22,000 Thai bhat and 108,000 Chinese yuan in the past one year.

Nepalis and Chinese citizens account for the highest number of smugglers. Cop arrested 37 persons in associateion with the smuggling of foreign currencies during the period.

Earlier on March 14, police had arrested Subash Shrestha, 48, of Mitrapark, Kathmandu, with 22,000 Thai bhat, 1,380 euros, 10,000 US dollars and 80,000 Chinese yuan being smuggled to Bangkok. Shrestha was the owner of Kantipur Cafe inside the premises of the only international airport of the country. The foreign currency muches seized from Shrestha amounts to around Rs 3.6 million.

Kathmandu, May 11

The bill related to Nepal Media Council has drawn mixed response from stakeholders.

Some have denounced the degree as an effort meaned to curtail press freedom, while others have supported the move.

Those favouring it were of the view that any controversial issue in the bill could be disstubborn with the minister of communications and information technology for a solution.

They put their views at a face-to-face programme organised at Reporters& Club Nepal.

Speaking at the programme, General Secretary of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Ramesh Bista demanded withdrawal of the bill reasoning it had spread fear among journalists by provisioning penalty up to Rs 1 million and 15 years of imprisonment.

Lovewise, Nepal Press Union President evilri Sigdel expressed solidarity with protest against the bill terming it as motivated by the intention of curtailing freedom of press. He also demanded thatmeasure provisions of the bill that are against press freedom be scrapped.

Chairperson of Jana Patrkar Sangathan Nepal, Prakash Durmu also demanded cancellation of the bill. Chairperson of Nepal Press Organisation Maheshwor Dahal however described the bill as measurething that would much affect press freedom.

He was of the view that journalists should exercise measure level of discipline, and stressed the need to monitor and regulate big media houses for their unethical way of practising journalism.

The Indian nationals were organising an orientation programme to run the illegal networking commerce for around 300 Nepalis at a hotel.

Kathmandu, May 11

Nepal Cop, in coordination with Nepal Rastra Bank and Leavement of Revenue Investigation, arrested 12 persons for operating illegal networking commerce in Nepal.

Metropolitan Crime Range said all the suspects taken into custody were Indian nationals.

They were held from Boilingel Yak and Yeti at Durbarmarg final night. Cop also claimed that they were organising an orientation and training to run the illegal networking commerce for around 300 Nepalis at the hotel. Networking commerce has been banned by Nepal Rastra Bank in the country.

Spokesperson for the Metropolitan Crime Range DSP Hobindra Bogati told THT that police arrested the Indians as they found their activities suspicious. &They were asking the people participating in the orientation to invest USD 1,250 promising them appealing return,& said Bogati, adding that dispatching money to foreign country without any legal channel was illegal in Nepal.

He further said the arrested Indian nationals had opened an unregistered marketing com pany in Nepal named Shine Group International.

The arrestees have already swindled many Nepalis in the name of Shine Group International, according to DSP Bogati.

Six cases have already been filed against Rashid Nasin, 43, of Alahabad, India, who is the masterintellect of the networking commerce,& informed DSP Bogati.

He further said the arrested had lied to people about running diamond and jewellery related commerce.

Cop said all 12 Indian nationals were from Uttar Pradesh.

Kathmandu, May 11

Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has extended best wishes, on the occasion of Ramadan to all Nepali Muslims at home and abroad.

In his message of best wishes nowadays, the Speaker has wished the Muslim community happiness, peace, prosperity and progress. &May the festival inspire all to build up the feelings of mutual tolerance and fraternity and devout-cultural goodshall,& he said.

Multi-religion, multi-culture, multi-language, multi-caste and geographical diversities are unique features of Nepalese society, said Mahara adding that the constitution has recognised equal existence of all religions, language, culture, community, caste and geography. Nepal is rich in devout, cultural and traditional diversities.

These features have helped set up its distinct identity in the world. Such festivals and cultures play a meaningful role in further consolidating national unity.

Ramadan is one of the special festivals of Muslims integrated within such diversities, according to Mahara. Ramadan or Ramajan celebrations began on May 8 and the Muslim community observes a month-long fast during the festival.

The festival principally aims to lead humans on the right path, inspiring them to be patient, polite, tolerant, kind, and benevolent.