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“Abuse of state power”, Gagan Thapa on arrest of Kailash Sirohiya

'The move is an attempt to deter, distract, and cover up crime against those who question the wrongdoings.'

Photo: RSS

Kathmandu: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa strongly condemned the arrest of Kailash Sirohiya, chair of Kantipur Publications, as he termed the move as “abuse of access to state power”.

Taking to social media, Thapa, referring to Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, said the move is an attempt to deter, distract, and cover up crime against those who question the wrongdoings. 

The Kantipur Publications, chaired by Sirohiya, has been publishing news stories in series on the alleged involvement of Lamichhane in cooperative scam. Home Minister Lamichhane has been accused of embezzling funds from cooperatives based in Kathmandu, Chitwan, Pokhara and Butwal. 

According to Thapa, no one is above the law and never will be. “But the way Sirohiya was arrested today is an attempt to take revenge by misusing the state power,” Thapa has indicated. 

Police on Tuesday evening arrested Sirohiya from Kantipur Publications premises following an arrest warrant from the Dhanusa District Court.

A bench of Dhanusha District Court Judge Chitra Bahadur Gurung issued an arrest warrant against Sirohiya to investigate the Kantipur Chair on charge of acquiring two citizenship certificates.

Following the arrest, police have taken Sirohiya to Dhanusa District Police for further investigation. 

After the warrant was issued, Sirohiya, in a statement, said he acquired his citizenship certificate in 2034 BS and obtained a copy of citizenship 23 years later. Likewise, he also argued that he cannot be held responsible if the number on the citizenship certificate acquired by another person two years after he acquired his is the same.