Former lawmaker of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Dhaka Kumar Shrestha, has been arrested on charges of drug trafficking. The arrest took place on Thursday, with Shrestha being implicated in the illegal sale of narcotics.
Superintendent of Police, Mohan Thapa, from Kaski Police, confirmed the arrest, stating that Shrestha was detained after information from a drug user led investigators to Diya Pharmacy, which was registered in Shrestha’s name.
The police report reveals that a drug user arrested earlier had informed authorities that the drugs were purchased from Diya Pharmacy. Following this lead, Shrestha was arrested and a drug trafficking case is now being prepared against him.
Shrestha, who was previously expelled from the RSP on April 12, 2024, had already made headlines last year after an audio recording surfaced. In the recording, Shrestha allegedly demanded Rs 20 million from B&C Medical College promoter, Durga Prasai, to secure the position of Health Minister in exchange for support from RSP President Rabi Lamichhane’s associates.
The conversation, recorded in early January, indicated that Lamichhane’s approval of Shrestha’s appointment as Health Minister was conditional on the payment of Rs 20-25 million. The recording led to Shrestha’s expulsion from RSP, where he had been elected to the House of Representatives through the Proportional Representation electoral system.
This arrest further complicates Shrestha’s already controversial political career.
