KATHMANDU : The Department of Money Laundering Investigation has filed a case against gangster Balaram Sapkota ‘Bale’ and his wife at the Special Court, accusing them of amassing proceeds of crimes worth Rs 195.5 million.
The DMLI on Monday filed the case worth Rs 174 million against Baley while a separate charge sheet accuses his wife Sirjana Kakshyapati of amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 25.5 million.
Bale, a native of Roshi Rural Municipality-4 of Kavre, had been living in Kathmandu’s Lazimpat. The writ petition demands the confiscation of the house and vehicles under his ownership.
The DMLI has also sought the court’s order to confiscate his bank balance of Rs 396,000, along with a Volkswagon car worth Rs 4.1 million. According to the Department, it has also found him owning lands in various places in Jhapa without any source of income.
Bale had begun operation of the Mechi Crown Hotel in Dhulabari of Jhapa during the lockdown without seeking permission from the local administration. He also runs a casino inside the hotel, has his investments in various star hotels and is said to have built fortunes through the illegal lending practice of ‘Meter Byaj (interest)’ to gamblers.
He reportedly provided loans on ‘Meter Byaaj’ to casino players in his casinos and seized their houses and cars from those who could not repay the money.
