Indian among 7 held from Nepal church for fraud

Seven persons, including an Indian national, were arrested from a church in Nepal for allegedly defrauding people under the guise of faith healing, officials said on Saturday.

The incident took place at Kailali district of Far-West Nepal recently.

Among those arrested is Karan BK, the coordinator of Anugrah Nepali Church at Tikapur in the district, the police said.

According to Assistant Chief District Officer Kiran Joshi, the suspects were detained on charges of fraud, having allegedly amassed over NPR 6,00,000 by promising to cure diseases through prayer meetings held on March 5 and 6.

One of the arrested has been identified as an Indian national, Bajinder Singh, she said.

Singh was allegedly performing exorcism rituals during the prayer gathering, claiming to heal disabilities.

So far, the police have returned money to around two dozen victims. However, many others are yet to receive their refunds, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Nabin Raja Budhathoki.