Leelaballabh Adhikari, the outgoing Home Affairs and Law Minister of Koshi province, has been arrested on charges of human trafficking in the scheme of an organized gang. The police arrested him from his residence at Waragachi in Biratnagar on Sunday afternoon and brought him to Kathmandu for investigation.

The then ministerial officer reached Tokyo with three youths in the plan of a gang that collected money with a plan to hide it in Japan. The four arrived at the Tribhuvan International Airport on November 17 after being turned away by Japanese immigration without entry. Although the minister was released with documents, airport immigration detained Kanchan Devkota of Rasuwa and Dawa Sherpa and Janak Rai of Khotang who were with the officer and handed them over to the police. Based on their statements, Jugal Rizal of Nuwakot Bidur, Bir Bahadur Sunuwar of Dolakha Jiri and Mahesh Pandey of Dhading Tripurasundari were arrested.

Even after the collusion with the gang was revealed, the police was criticized for not bringing the outgoing minister officer under the scope of investigation. After increasing pressure from all sides, the police took out an arrest warrant against the officer saying that it was necessary to investigate the crime related to human trafficking and labor. After that, a team led by Superintendent of Police of Morang Narayan Chimaria reached his residence to arrest him. "After the Valley Crime Investigation Office sent a letter saying that even the officer's name was involved in human trafficking, we have arrested him and sent him for investigation," said Chandrakuver Khapung, head of the Koshi State Police.

After being brought to Kathmandu, the officer was taken from the airport to the district court in Kathmandu. The court granted two days' permission to detain the officer for investigation into the crime of labor and human trafficking. Kathmandu Police Spokesperson SP Navraj Adhikari said that he got the deadline from the court to keep the officer in custody so that the deadline coincides with the 6 people who were arrested earlier. "6 people have been detained by the court for 4 days last time, that period is till Monday. The court has allowed the officer to conduct the investigation in a way that matches the previously extended deadline.' 

The officer flew to Tokyo on October 13 to participate in the 'Culture and Home' program organized by 'Arts Council Tokyo' from October 29 to November 3. He had not taken permission from the union and state governments for foreign visits. It is revealed that Koshi Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki did not go to Japan without the approval of the government.

Devkota, Sherpa and Rai mingled with the officer in Hong Kong transit. Devkota and Rai were carrying fake identity cards of employees of the Koshi State Ministry of Home Affairs and Law. Their identity card had the signature of the then ministerial officer as 'acting head of office'. An officer involved in the investigation said that it will be known only after the test report from the forensics laboratory that the signature is of the officer or forged. Sherpa had the identity card of the ward member of Ainselukhark-2 in Khotang. After seeing suspicious documents, the Japanese immigration detained the four people for 48 hours and sent them back home. 

An accused under investigation has revealed that the fake identity card was made in Baghbazar. It has been revealed that Pandey of Dhading, who was arrested based on the statement of the youth returned from Japan, took charge of the work from making fake identity cards to collecting money for sending to Japan. According to the police, Pandey took Rs 10 to 13 lakh each from the three youths. 2 others in Pandey's network are absconding. Gopal Gautam of Ratuwamai, Morang, who facilitated the sending of the then ministerial officer to Japan as part of the gang's plan, has not come under investigation. A police officer said that the facts and evidence revealed by the

investigation may attract other charges against the outgoing minister. "The case of the minister going abroad together with the smuggler is a crime against the state, the needle of the investigation can go in that direction as well," he said. 

After it was revealed that he had gone to Japan in the plan of a human trafficking gang, the officer had resigned from the post of minister last Wednesday. UML has already suspended the official from the party convention representative council member and organized member until the final decision of the case is made for going to Japan against official dignity. The office of the UML Koshi state parliamentary party has also asked the officer for an explanation within 24 hours saying that he has acted against the dignity of office. "If you do not give an explanation within time or if the explanation given is not satisfactory, you will be informed as per the instructions that action will be taken against you as per the law," Revathiraman Bhandari, Chief Whip of UML Koshi Province Parliamentary Party, said in the letter to the officer. Sources say that they are ready to suspend him from the position of parliamentarian until the legal declaration of the offense committed against the officer. 

The official has been claiming that he fell into the gang's trap, that he only learned about the gang's plan in Hong Kong transit. After reaching Japan, he said that he helped in the investigation by sending a 'message' to Koshi Police Chief DIG Chandrakuver Khapung and Special Bureau Chief DIG Rajan Adhikari. However, this argument of his is also doubtful. He has also claimed that he did not sign the fake identity card of the employee.

Seven facts to cast doubt

1. Chief minister Hikmat Karki reminded the then minister Leela Ballabh Adhikari about the rules of foreign travel but he ignored it the day before flying to Japan.

2. Minister's travel abroad is facilitated and provided by the government, including visas, the official said that the visa and ticket arrangements were made by handing over the passport to the gang.

3. After returning from Japan, the officer claimed that he 'doesn't know anyone involved in smuggling', but before flying to Japan, a photograph of him with Mahesh Pandey of the gang and another suspect, Gopal Gautam, at the airport was made public.

4. The official says that he found out that he was trapped by the gang only after he arrived in Hong Kong and that he informed some police officers about the gang after he arrived in Japan. Why was it necessary to report only after reaching Japan?

5. The officer did not voluntarily resign from the ministerial position, Chief Minister Karki gave a pressing instruction for his resignation.

6. After being returned from Japan, when the Kathmandu Immigration shouted, 'I am a minister, why are you shouting?', the officer snapped, then the immigration released the officer, detained the three people who were with him and handed them over to the police. Such behavior was discriminatory in the same offence.

7. After the warning from the media and opposition from the public, the police started the process of bringing him under the scope of investigation, after getting this move, he expressed to the media that 'I was accused of human trafficking, now I myself went to Kathmandu to help the investigation'.