Police have arrested Anil Kumar Pokharel, former personal secretary to Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Rishikesh Pokharel.

He was taken into custody by the police from Biratnagar on Thursday morning.

Anil is accused of fraud. He allegedly promised to secure admission for a candidate in an MBBS entrance exam in exchange for Rs3.88 million from Bauwalal Chaudhary, according to Superintendent of Police Narayan Chimoriya, chief of District Police Office, Morang.

The victim, Chaudhary, is a resident of ward 5 in Agnisair Krishna Sawaran Municipality in Saptari.

Earlier, Morang District Court had allowed police to arrest Anil.

On January 3, Rishikesh dismissed Anil as his aide after the case became public.

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

Anil is a member of the Morang district committee of a ruling party, the CPN-UML. He was recommended for a provincial assembly candidacy during the 2022 elections and worked as Rishikesh Pokharel’s personal secretary since Pokharel became chair of the Public Accounts Committee in August last year.