Crime

The police have recovered Rs 613,340 in cash and 143 tolas of gold from three robbers involved in the IME Money Transfer robbery. 

On October 3, four robbers took control of the staff working in the money transfer bureau located at Birendra Chowk in Fungling, the district headquarters of Taplejung, and robbed them of cash and gold.

Deputy Superintendent Kailash Rai of the District Police Office, Taplejung said they had arrested three of the four accused involved in the robbery on Monday night and recovered cash and gold from them. 

The police have identified the arrestees as Rajendra Partel (aka Rajan), 29, of Jhapa Phungling Municipality-2; Chun Bahadur Sunar, 26, of Jhapa Shivsatasi Municipality-1; and Maniraj Partel, 25, of Jhapa Arjundhara Municipality-10. Search for the absconding person is going on. 

As well as cash and 143 tolas of gold, the police also made public a pistol, and items such as ropes, scissors, etc., that the burglars purportedly used in the heist.

In his police complaint, Amber Kumar Shrestha, the owner of the money transfer, stated that the robbers made off with more than Rs1.16 million and 348 tolas of gold valued more than Rs 30 million per the current market price.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Mahesh Kumar Pokharel said they would investigate the documents to confirm if the money transfer bureau holds a licence to trade gold. 

"We have asked the money transfer bureau owner to furnish documents about his business. Then we'll carry out further investigation," Pokharel said.  

One of the accused took 33-year-old Ashamaya Pradhan, an IME employee, held at gunpoint and robbed her of cash and jewellery. While investigating the case, the police discovered that the person involved in the robbery was a drug user.

"They hatched a plan to rob jewellery while sitting near the Grande Hospital in Kathmandu," DSP Raid said. The court has extended the police remand of the accused persons by 10 days for further investigation into the case.