He would roam around distributing money to beggars. Sometimes he would feed fish. He would offer food to flocks of pigeons. He would worship cows and feed them bananas. He frequently visited religious sites from Buddhist stupas to Swayambhu and Pashupatinath. He went to bathe in the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj and to offer water at Devghat. At times, he would visit ashrams and take pictures with saints.
He usually wore a Rudraksha garland around his neck, had a tika on his forehead, donned saffron clothes, and kept long hair like a hermit. Looking at his appearance and actions in his old age, one would easily assume he is a social worker.
Devotion or Deception
These actions suggested that he has a deep faith in religion and a strong commitment to social service. Seeing someone present themselves this way, it would be hard to suspect they might be a criminal or a gangster.
But that same person, who engaged in all these activities, is now in police custody, accused of gangsterism. He is Milan Gurung, alia Chakre Milan.
Citing the above behaviors, people close to Chakre claim he is a social worker and politician. They allege that the police arrested him unnecessarily just to be in the limelight. However, the police view and analyze the situation quite differently. Despite Chakre appearing to have reformed into Milan Gurung, police believe he and his action still poses risk to the society.
Though Chakre always moves around with a group of 10 to 12 young men and appears to be religious and philanthropic, as per police his activities are threatening and intimidate the public.
According to the police, the TikTok account of Milan Chakre, with nearly 90,000 followers, shows him with crowds of young men at various religious, social, and cultural events.
The police have arrested 19 individuals who usually accompany Chakre and are investigating them. SSP Basanta Adhikari from the Kathmandu District Police Office said they are investigating Chakre and 19 associates under the charge of public offense, accusing them of spreading fear and intimidation in society.
“There are different forms of gangsterism. It doesn’t always involve assault or robbery. But when someone’s presence or actions terrorize society, and their goal appears to dominate and profit from that fear, that constitutes gangsterism,” says Adhikar.
When taking 19 people into custody, police recovered two khukuris and a metal folding stick from a vehicle, number Bagmati BAC 3221, owned by 34-year-old Rahul Khadka of Changunarayan Municipality-12. Police believe the weapons in the car had specific intentions.
On the night of July 31, police conducted an operation at Hotel Sambala on Bansbari Road in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, where Chakre’s birthday party was being celebrated. The attendees left their plates and drinks behind and were taken away in a police van. A total of 47 people were arrested.
The next day, after screening, police proceeded with charges against only 19 of them. Chakre and his 18 associates are currently in custody.
Politics meets crime
Chakre, who is now in custody along with his group, was once a notorious gangster. According to the police Criminal Record System, he has been involved in over a dozen criminal cases.
Once known as a kitchen cabinet member of (late) CPN-UML leader Pradeep Nepal, Milan Gurung’s transformation into “Chakre” and rise in the criminal world is something Onlinekhabar has attempted to explore.
The son of a former Gorkha Army soldier, Chakre’s ancestral home is in Choprak, Siranchowk Rural Municipality-5, Gorkha. He lived in Chakrapath, Kathmandu, and expanded his influence there, eventually becoming infamous in the underworld under the name “Chakre.”
He was once considered close to the royal palace. After 1990, he joined the CPN-UML and began gathering youth in Maharajgunj to earn commission from sand mining contracts. He made Maharajgunj his stronghold and began collecting commissions and “salami shares” (cuts from contracts), even resorting to threats when denied.
Chakre’s track record
Chakre was first arrested on July 22, 1990. No formal complaints had been filed against him at the time, but based on police reports, Kathmandu Police filed a public offense charge (now considered disorderly conduct). He was released within a few days.
About a year and a half later, Kathmandu police arrested him again under the same charge. He was again released.
On May 27, 1995, he was arrested under attempted murder after a complaint from Sanjog Gurung. Another attempted murder case was filed against him on April 25, after a complaint from Paramaya Gurung.
On May 13, 2004, Chakre was severely attacked at Chufang Restaurant in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. A group wearing helmets launched a brutal assault, severing his left hand. His team rushed him to the hospital with his severed hand, which was reattached in time.
Police concluded the attack was carried out by the group led by Rajiv Gurung alias Deepak Manange, who had an ongoing rivalry with Chakre. An attempted murder case was filed against Manange, Ganesh Lama, Revati Karki, Ramesh Sunuwar, and Umesh Lama.
Initially, the district court sentenced Manange to two years in prison, calling it a case of assault, not attempted murder. But upon appeal, the sentence was extended to five years. Manange is currently serving time in Dillibazar Jail.
Chakre himself has faced multiple charges of attempted murder, sometimes as a victim, sometimes as the perpetrator. On September 7, 2006, Raju Thapa filed a complaint against him, and another case was filed.
The cycle of arrests, charges, and releases became routine for Chakre. This pattern continued for years. On May 6, 2007 another attempted murder case was filed against him after a complaint from Rupa Banta Dongol.
After being arrested in 2007, he served one and half years in prison and later joined the UML’s Youth Force.
On January 21, 2009, Asha Shrestha filed another attempted murder case against him. On July 12, 2009, he was arrested in Butwal with narcotics. However, many view this arrest as suspicious, as Chakre is said to have never consumed drugs. It’s alleged the drug case was fabricated to impose a longer jail term.
On October 1 of the same year, Chakre’s group was seen escorting vehicles around Kathmandu.
According to police records, on February 24, 2011, a case was filed against him from New Baneshwar Police Circle. On February 25, 2011, another case was filed from Maharajgunj Police Circle.
In between, he served a five-year sentence in a drug case. Shortly after his release, on May 9, 2017, on August 27, 2017, two general offense charges were filed against him based on reports from Kathmandu police.
On August 6, 2014, Dinesh Adhikari Chari was killed in a police encounter. On August 18, 2016, another gangster, Kumar Ghainte (Kumar Shrestha), was also killed. After police adopted a strict policy against gangsters, underworld activities in Kathmandu largely disappeared.
Many gangsters fled the valley or even the country. Chakre also seemed to have reformed and became politically active, even tattooing the UML’s election symbol (sun) on his arm. He was recommended as a UML candidate from Gorkha province, though he did not receive the ticket.
Now, nearly a decade later, Chakre has again been arrested on charges of creating public terror.
