Former general secretary of the Japan chapter of Non-Resident Nepali Association has been arrested on charge of duping a Japanese national of Rs 60 million. 

Based on a complaint, Anuj Thapa, also the NRNA-International Coordination Council (ICC) member, was arrested from Kathmandu on Thursday while he was in Nepal to attend the NRNA conference.

“A Japanese national had lodged a complaint stating that he had taken the money from him ‘to build a school’ in Nepal,” said SSP Rabindra Dhanuk, chief of Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu. 

SSP Dhanuk said Kathmandu District Court has remanded Thapa to seven days in custody. 

According to police, Yamamoto Hiraku, a Japanese professor, was coerced by Thapa into giving money, saying establishing a school in Nepal would be profitable. They had planned to establish a Japanese language centre while offering other courses as well. Hiraku then decided to give him Rs 60 million to construct a school. 

“Even after repeated follow-ups, the professor could not find any progress on the construction of the school. Thapa then went out of contact,” said SSP Dhanuk. “We received the complaint after the professor came to know that Thapa is in Nepal.”

Investigation so far has shown that Thapa had returned to Nepal with the money. He then bought a house in Samakhusi, Kathmandu. 

The house and vehicle purchased by Thapa with professor’s money are registered in his personal name. 

Thapa was the candidate for the president of NRNA-Japan but had withdrawn his candidacy in the last hour. He was then appointed as ICC member.