Manoj Kunwar, 40, of Thalha Gautari, Karjanha Municipality-8, Siraha, has been seen in the premises of the District Police Office, Siraha for the past three days. He sits alone in the premises of the police office, shedding tears, waiting for someone all day, and then returns home disappointed in the evening.

It is not for anyone else but his wife that he has been waiting for at the police office all day. His wife, Panwati Devi Danuwar, 35, has been in the custody of the District Police Office, Siraha since last Tuesday. Panwati was arrested by the police from Mirchaiya on Tuesday afternoon and taken to Siraha.

He has a case of money laundering against him. The Siraha District Court sentenced Panwati to one year in prison on October 21. Three years ago, when her father-in-law Ganga Kunwar was ill, she had taken a loan of one lakh rupees from Birendra Sah, who was working as a meter interest lender in Mirchaiya, for treatment in 2079 Paush.

For that, a Kapali Tamsuk of three lakh rupees was made with Panwati, making Birendra's wife Indu Sah the richest. However, even though the loan was taken in 2079 Paush, the Tamsuk was made with a date of 2075 Shrawan.

After it was revealed that the meter interest business was flourishing in Madhesh and that moneylenders were making Kapali Tamsuks of more than the actual principal amount from the borrowers, the government had implemented a system from 2075 Shrawan that financial transactions should be made in the presence of a public representative or employee at the ward office and that Kapali should be registered at the ward office.

Therefore, Manoj Kunwar, Panwati's husband, said that the Kapali was made as per the lender's instructions on a date before the implementation of this provision. He said that the court had ruled that the lender should pay 6.25 lakh rupees. According to Manoj, even though the actual principal and date were written on the bottom of the Kapali, the lender cut it off and filed a case in court, which resulted in such a large amount of money.

As soon as Manoj and Panwati came to know that the lender had filed a case in court, they had been urging the lender to settle the matter even though their financial situation was miserable. However, the lender, Birendra, had been saying that they should pay at least 6 lakh rupees. When they said that they could not pay that much, the lender had been threatening to send them to jail.

'My father was sick and needed money. At that time, I had to do as the moneylender said. I didn't think this would happen,' says Manoj. 'I was in Malaysia at that time. My income there was not good, so I couldn't pay the money on time. After filing the case, I took a loan from others and paid the money. Even after I asked them to settle the matter, they refused to accept it and arrested my wife.'

The police have made preparations to present Panwati in court and send her to jail from the court. Panwati is currently in police custody and preparations are underway to present her in court, said DSP Ramesh Bahadur Pal, spokesperson of the District Police Office, Siraha.