The United States has canceled the five-year 'multiple entry' visa (entry permit) issued in the name of Tirtharaj Bhattarai, joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs and his wife Devimaya Baral (Bhattrai), after being investigated for extorting money from Nepali travelers going on a visit visa through Tribhuvan International Airport.

After Bhattarai, the Chief Immigration Officer of Airport Immigration, was detained by the Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission last Wednesday in the visit visa smuggling case, the United States canceled the visa issued in the name of the Bhattarai couple. According to sources, the US Embassy in Nepal has already informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the visa cancellation.

"The United States itself has canceled the visa of Joint Secretary Bhattarai, taking seriously the matter of a high-level official who is in compliance with the immigration law being involved in financial transactions and smuggling on a visit visa," the source said, "This matter is not only a matter within Nepal, it has also made it clear how the world perceives and has taken this kind of crime from the country's international airport." When it was revealed that the then Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamazhi, the then Home Minister Balkrishna Khan, the then Home Secretary Teknarayan Pandey, the security adviser of the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, Indrajit Rai, and the high-ranking officials and employees were involved, the US showed serious interest.