RSP Central Member Mohan Thapa Arrested in the U.S.

Mohan Thapa, a central member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and a close aide of the party’s founding president Rabi Lamichhane, has been arrested in the United States.

Thapa was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Philadelphia International Airport last week while traveling from Nepal to the U.S. He is currently being held at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia.

A resident of Baltimore, Maryland, Thapa is the founding president of the Baltimore Association of Nepalese in America (BANA). He had been actively involved in Nepal’s political landscape and is considered one of Lamichhane’s trusted confidants.

Thapa has a controversial past, having served jail time in Maryland for the misuse of a driver’s license. Sources indicate that he holds a Green Card, which permits him to reside in the U.S. permanently. However, his U.S. citizenship was revoked following the license misuse case.

Senior lawyer Khagendra G.C., a long-time legal practitioner in the U.S., said that the full details of Thapa’s case have not yet been disclosed.

“The charge sheet has not been released, so the exact charges are still unknown,” G.C. told to media based on US.

He explained that U.S. authorities often question Green Card holders who travel frequently or stay outside the country for extended periods, which may have contributed to Thapa’s arrest.

Reports suggest that Thapa returned to the U.S. last week following an investigation into money laundering in Nepal. Allegations of involvement in producing fraudulent driver’s licenses have also surfaced against him.

A businessman familiar with Thapa’s history claimed that he had been imprisoned two or three times in the U.S. previously. ICE has been arresting and interrogating Green Card holders exhibiting suspicious behavior, especially amid stricter immigration enforcement.

In 2018, Thapa made headlines for calling on social media to protest against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The planned protest reportedly led U.S. authorities to cancel the Prime Minister’s program, citing security concerns.

The possibility of Thapa’s deportation to Nepal remains high, given the ongoing crackdown on individuals with criminal backgrounds under the U.S. immigration policy.