Congress lawmaker Maya Rai, who had been evading authorities for seven months in a cooperative fraud case, has been arrested by the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office in Kapan. SSP Ramesh Basnet confirmed that she would be transferred to the District Police for court proceedings.
Rai was implicated in the embezzlement of 2.65 billion rupees from the Swarnalaxmi Cooperative in Kalimati, Kathmandu. Although there were confirmed reports of her involvement, authorities had previously shown little urgency in apprehending her, with police claiming her whereabouts were unknown, granting her de facto immunity for months. Her arrest was announced in Parliament, and she has been presented in the District Court of Kathmandu, where she received an eight-day custody for questioning following the submission of a charge sheet and an arrest warrant.
Maya Rai had served as a director of the Swarnalaxmi Cooperative, where misappropriated funds from depositors were reported. The main director of the cooperative remains at large.
