Former Home Minister Khand Released from Jail in Fake Bhutanese Refugee Case

Former Home Minister Balkrishna Khand, who had been serving a jail term in connection with the case of a fake Bhutanese refugee, has been released from Jagannath Dewal prison. The release follows a bail order issued by the High Court Patan on Thursday.

Mitra Luitel, an assistant jailor, confirmed that Khand was released from the central jail on Friday afternoon. After his release, Khand was taken to the District Court Kathmandu, where he is scheduled to appear before the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. Subsequently, he will be taken to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) before being released on a general date.

The High Court Patan’s decision to grant bail to Balkrishna Khand came after a series of deliberations. Initially, a joint bench comprising Judges Janak Pandey and Prakash Kharel had conflicting opinions on Khand’s case on December 1, leading to the referral of the petition to a third judge.

Judge Prakash Kharel advocated for Khand’s continued detention in jail, while Judge Janak Pandey supported releasing him on a bail of Rs 3 million while allowing the investigation to proceed. On Thursday, a single bench of Judge Krishna Ram Koirala upheld the decision of Judge Pandey, resulting in Balkrishna Khand’s release from custody.