Kathmandu, May 6
Interpol has requested additional documents from Nepal’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Kathmandu as part of the process to issue a Red Notice against former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, former Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba.
A senior police official confirmed to Onlinekhabar that the Red Notice process is still ongoing and that Interpol has asked for further required paperwork. The NCB had formally written to Interpol requesting the notice, but Interpol has not yet issued it, citing insufficient documentation.
A Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against the Deuba couple on April 7, based on a letter from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. Following the warrant, authorities began procedures to bring the couple back to Nepal.
The Deubas left the country on February 26 under the pretext of medical treatment, flying first to Singapore and then reportedly moving to Hong Kong on March 21. They have not returned to Nepal since. Sources indicate they are still in Hong Kong.
If a Red Notice is issued, all 196 Interpol member countries would be authorised to arrest the couple, after which legal extradition proceedings could be initiated to bring them back to Nepal.
Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, Deuba released a statement saying he is an “open book,” denying that the property-related allegations against him have any basis and noting that his asset disclosures were submitted to government bodies during his time in office. He did not, however, disclose his current location.
The investigation also covers transactions involving Deuba’s relatives, including Pradeep Shumsher Jabra, Bhushan Rana, and Jayvir Deuba. Arju Rana Deuba has separately faced allegations of involvement in a fake Bhutanese refugee case, as well as a disputed decision related to Nepal Telecom billing irregularities made through then-Communications Secretary Baikuntha Aryal.
During the Gen Z protests last year, burnt currency notes were found at the Deuba residence in Budhanilkantha, footage of which went public, and the Department of Money Laundering Investigation subsequently filed a report and launched a formal inquiry.
