Court has issued an arrest warrant against Morang district committee member of the CPN-UML Anil Kumar Pokharel, who was personal secretary to Rishikesh Pokharel, chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives. The Morang District Court on Monday allowed police to arrest him on charges of fraud.

Hem Bahadur Budhathoki, information officer at the Morang District Court, confirmed that the warrant was issued in connection with a fraud case. Anil allegedly promised to secure admission for a candidate in an MBBS entrance exam in exchange for Rs3.88 million from Bauwalal Chaudhary. He reportedly coerced Chaudhary into signing a loan document for Rs5 million under threat when the promise went unfulfilled.

The Morang District Police Office and Rangeli Area Police Office had initially refused to register Chaudhary’s complaint. The District Government Attorney’s Office declined to instruct police to register the case. It is alleged that Anil used political influence to avoid legal proceedings.

Anil is a member of the Morang district committee of the CPN-UML. He was picked as a provincial assembly candidate during the 2022 elections. He served as Rishikesh Pokharel’s personal secretary since Pokharel became chair of the Public Accounts Committee. The committee chair Pokharel sacked Anil from the role after the fraud charge against him became public.

The allegations date back to between 2014 and 2016, during which Anil allegedly took the sum in installments from Baualal Chaudhary of Saptari.