Nepal MP arrested for possessing fake academic certificates

Kathmandu, August 11 ( IANS) Sunil Sharma, a Nepali Congress MP from Kathmandu, has been arrested for the alleged possession of fake academic certificates.

Sharma was arrested on Thursday by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police. 

Nepal Police spokesperson, Deputy Inspector General Kuber Kadayat said the MP, elected from Morang-3 constituency, was arrested on the charge of fraud related to his educational certificatse.

Sharma, also a medical professional who runs a hospital, was charged with a similar case about seven years ago.

The ruling Nepali Congress has opposed his arrest.

"He was arrested because he demanded the resignation of Home and Finance Ministers over a gold smuggling case," Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Nar Singh KC alleged.

"Why did the police drop the investigation seven years back against Sharma and why are they digging out now?" he queried. 

Sharma is a vocal critic of Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat for their alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.

Shrestha is from the CPN (Maoist Center) ,while Mahat belongs the Nepali Congress. 

On July 18, Nepal Police had confiscated over 100 kg of gold near the Kathmandu airport.

According to Sharma, without involvement of the Home and Finance Ministries, such a big amount of gold cannot be smuggled from Hong Kong to Kathmandu.

After the arrest, the CIB informed House Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire that Sharma was taken into custody as per Article 103 (6) of the Constitution of Nepal.

He was arrested as per the law since investigation was deemed needed on a charge on fake academic certificates, said the CIB. 

According to the CIB, some of the doctors have received registration from Nepal Medical Council by submitting fake academic certificates from India and attended the exams conducted by the Council for registration certificate.

At least seven other doctors who used the fake academic certificates to pursue MBBS were also arrested on Thursday and Friday, according to the CIB.

Likewise, Sharma's certificate of I.Sc. was 'not verified' from the National Examinations Board, it added.