Kathmandu. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (PMLA) has raided the residences and offices of controversial businessman Deepak Bhatta and his business partner Sulav Agrawal. The department’s team, with the help of the police and local bodies, has taken this step to investigate their properties and business transactions.
A team from the Department raided Bhatta’s Kiran Bhawan and office in Sanepa, Lalitpur. After a long investigation, the department has seized around 10 luxury vehicles from Bhatta’s residence. The seized vehicles include a Ranger Rover, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a BMW, a Tesla, a Proton and a BYD. Mobile phones, computers, important documents and CCTV cameras were also confiscated from them, the department said.
The department also raided Himalayan Reinsurance Company, owned by Bhatta and Agrawal. From there, digital materials and documents required for the investigation have been seized. Likewise, a laptop and CCTV footage were recovered from the offices linked to Agrawal and the house of Upendra Hirawat, who is said to be Bhatta’s financial manager, was also searched, the source said.
The department has raised serious doubts about the property management of Agarwal and Bhatta. According to a senior official of the department, the investigation is being focused on the suspicion that financial resources in Nepal were transferred in the name of Agrawal and sources in foreign countries (Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, etc.) might have been mobilized in the name of Bhatta. The department said that more facts will be revealed after analysing the seized materials.
Bhatt and Agrawal have been in police custody for the past two weeks. They are being investigated for money laundering, insurance and banking frauds. The Kathmandu District Court has already remanded Bhatt to custody for 20 days on two occasions while Agrawal has been remanded in custody for further investigation.
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