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🇳🇵 Nepal /Crime & Justice

Deuba’s son implicated in money laundering probe over Rs26 million transfer

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Nepal's Department of Money Laundering Investigation filed a charge sheet implicating Jayabir Deuba, son of former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, in a Rs26 million money laundering case.
  • The funds were allegedly transferred from businessman Deepak Bhatta's firm to companies owned by Jayabir Deuba, with investigators probing suspicious real estate acquisitions.
  • While arrest warrants against Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife were stayed by the Supreme Court, the investigation into interconnected transactions continues.

Nepal's anti-money laundering body has filed a charge sheet against Jayabir Deuba, son of former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, accusing him of receiving Rs26 million suspected to be proceeds of financial crimes. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DMLI) detailed the transaction from businessman Deepak Bhatta's firm to two companies owned by Jayabir in its filing at the Special Court.

We are continuing our investigation into several interconnected transactions, and cannot disclose finer operational details at this stage.

— Uttam Kumar GhimireA director and investigating officer at the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, explaining the ongoing probe.

Investigators have named sixteen defendants, including six individuals and ten corporate entities, in the sweeping lawsuit. The DMLI is continuing its probe into several interconnected transactions, with a director at the department stating that finer operational details cannot be disclosed. The formal indictment reflects the initial findings, though supplemental reports are still being processed.

Jayabir Deuba, who is reportedly outside Nepal, faces scrutiny over suspicious real estate investments and asset acquisitions. Immigration records show he left for Thailand in September 2025, and intelligence suggests he may have moved to Hong Kong via India. This development follows an earlier investigation that targeted former prime minister Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba. Although arrest warrants were issued against them, the Supreme Court intervened with an interim stay order, citing inadequate grounds for detention.

The formal indictment includes these specific findings as documented by the investigating team, though the exhaustive supplemental reports are still being processed.

— Badri Kumar KarkiDeputy Government Attorney, confirming the court filings reflect initial findings.

The Deuba couple, currently in Hong Kong, have maintained their innocence through a joint petition. The ongoing investigation highlights concerns about high-level political corruption and the complexities of financial crime probes in Nepal.

We observed highly unusual patterns in his property acquisitions, which prompted the formal summons for a statement.

— a senior DMLI officialDescribing the basis for the summons issued to Jayabir Deuba.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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