KATHMANDU: Tulsi Narayan Shrestha, the former Vice President of the Nepal Children’s Organization (NCO), has been apprehended by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police on Friday due to his involvement in the Balmandir land scam in Naxal, Kathmandu. Shrestha is accused of causing financial losses to the NCO and the government by leasing land at significantly undervalued rates from 1992 to 2015.

The allegations against Shrestha include renewing the lease with malicious intent before the existing contract, which was set to expire in 2032, had ended. The latest agreement shows that approximately 29 ropanis of land in Naxal were leased for an annual fee of Rs 10.9 million. The police have issued arrest warrants for 20 individuals associated with various activities on the property, indicating a broader investigation into the misuse of the organization's assets.

Alongside Shrestha, arrest warrants have been issued for other key figures, including former President Rita Singh, General Secretary Ganesh Bhakta Shrestha, Deputy General Secretary Suman Shakya, Krishna Shankar Sah, Shyam Kumar Ale, Subas Kumar Pokharel, and Manohar Gopal Shrestha. These individuals are implicated in the financial mismanagement and fraudulent leasing practices that have caused significant losses to the NCO.