INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:

Kathmandu, August 12 Mani Niraula, an education consultancy owner charged with swindling over Rs 11 million from at least 13 people aspiring

to go to Australia, has surrendered to the police. Niraula, operator of Queensland Education Foundation at Putalisadak, was collecting a sum

ranging from Rs 500,000 to Rs 2.4 million from each youngster aspiring to go to Australia on dependent or tourist visa for the last two

years. &Niraula was collecting money from us by showing the picture of a girl named Rejina Hamal of Nepalgunj, who has obtained a visa to

study in Australia,& said Amrit Raj Giri, 22, of Bhulvu Rural Municipality, Kavre, who has paid Rs 1.6 million to Niraula to apply for

dependant visa to migrate to Australia

Giri was told he would have to perform &fake marriage& with Hamal to apply for dependent visa and file for a divorce upon reaching

Australia. At least three other people, who have given a total of Rs 2.6 million to Niraula, told THT that they were also shown the picture

of the same girl and told the same thing about &fake marriage&

These three youngsters, as well as Giri, had handed over the money after communicating with Hamal on social media

&But I lost touch with Niraula and Hamal after handing over the money,& said Giri

Hamal could not be contacted. At least 20 people, mostly youngsters accompanied by their parents, who were duped by Niraula, had gathered at

Metropolitan Police Circle, Singha Durbar, today, seeking help to get their money back

Niraula is said to have duped up to 40 people mostly below the age of 25. Niraula is also found to have used the picture of a boy to dupe

girls aspiring to go to Australia

&I was shown a picture of a boy who I was told was a permanent resident of Australia,& a 20-something from Kanchanpur told THT on condition

of anonymity

She had handed over Rs 500,000 to Niraula. Niraula used to issue a cheque of the same amount that his clients deposited at his office to

&win the confidence and substantiate he was not involved in unethical business&, according to victims

But victims who were duped by Niraula could not encash those cheques, as they were dud. Around 13 of Niraula clients have submitted an FIR

at Metropolitan Police Circle, Singha Durbar, seeking his arrest but the police are yet to register the FIR. &The FIR lacks certain details

like full address of the accused and evidence of fraud,& Deputy Superintendent of Police Kaushal Budhathoki, who heads the police circle at

Singha Durbar, said. Budhathoki said police had rounded up Niraula after he sought security by dialling 100

The Education Consultancy Association Nepal, the umbrella body of education consultancies in Nepal, has scrapped the membership of Niraula

firm. The post Education consultancy swindles over Rs 11 million appeared first on The Himalayan Times.