Nepal MP Arrested For Fake Degree From Bihar After He Asked Resignations Over Alleged Gold Smuggling Case

A Nepali legislator was apprehended on Thursday (10 August) for allegedly falsifying educational credentials. Sunil Kumar Sharma, an MP from the Nepali Congress, reportedly acquired a forged higher secondary academic degree from Bihar and employed it to pursue advanced studies in China.

Sunil Sharma, a Nepali Congress lawmaker, was arrested by a team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police in Kathmandu.

Sharma, representing Morang-3 in the House of Representatives for Nepal's ruling party, has close ties to the Shekhar Koirala faction within the Nepali Congress. His arrest has caused disturbances within the ruling coalition.

Sharma's apprehension comes shortly after he demanded the resignations of Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat. His demands were linked to the alleged smuggling of 100 kg of gold, which was seized in a raid the previous month.

Notably, 18 individuals, including an Indian and a Chinese national, were detained in connection with the smuggling of nearly 100 kg of gold, which evaded detection and passed through customs at Tribhuvan International Airport on the night of 18 July.

Sharma, who owns several medical colleges and private institutions, had suggested that the finance and home ministers step down to expedite the investigation into the gold smuggling incident. He reasoned that their departure from their positions could facilitate the inquiry.

However, Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat rejected Sharma's demand, claiming that the MP was motivated by the government's refusal to grant insurance coverage to patients receiving treatment at his private hospital.

In the current scenario of ongoing controversies and scandals in Nepal and the global context, Sharma presented instances of immediate resignations from positions. He further advocated for the resignation of both ministers involved in the investigation.

Mahat dismissed Sharma's call for resignation, stating that the MP's anger stemmed from the government's rejection of his private hospital's insurance coverage request for patients.