Jobs racket: Nepali actor Khushbu Hamal Thakuri held for running human trafficking ring

Acting on a tip-off,police laid a trap at Naba Karim in Central Delhi and arrested Thakuri and Karky. Seventeen Nepali passports were recovered from their possession. “The two confessed that they duped people by promising them jobs in South Africa. They also told us that they had detained five persons at a hotel in Naba Karim. We conducted a raid at the hotel and rescued the five,” ACP (Central) Devesh Srivastava said.

The five persons told police that they had come to India through a woman,Maya Tamang,who introduced them to the three accused after they paid her Rs 1 lakh.

“They were introduced as South African embassy officials. The three accused asked for Rs 2 lakh,which the victims paid and handed over their passports on February 15. Maya returned to Nepal but the other three kept in touch with the victims. After more than 10 days,they told the victims to pay another Rs 2 lakh. The victims asked them to return the money,after which one of the victims approached the police,” Srivasatva said.

Police said the third accused,Kamal,was arrested from a rented house in Ranjeet Nagar. A total of 35 Nepali passports and Rs 8 lakh were recovered from his hotel room in Karol Bagh. During questioning,Thakuri said he was well-known in Nepal and he used his image to lure victims.

Police said the gang operated through many agents in Nepal. They would ask clients to come to Delhi and pose as South African embassy officials.

The three would flee after taking money from the victims and confiscating their passports.

Thakuri has claimed to have acted in Nepali movies like Bakuli,Om Shiv Shanker and a Hindi movie based on the life of a model.

Thakuri’s two associates,who were in the racket for the past three years,posed as embassy officials and facilitated the hotel stay of their victims in Delhi.

Man ‘held’ for murder of aspiring actor

A man identified as Shanti Deep Verma was arrested on the charge of murdering Sumit Tiwari (20),an aspiring actor two weeks ago. Tiwari’s body was recovered from a suitcase in Verma’s flat in Mandawali on February 23. Although senior officers refused to confirm the arrest,sources said Verma was arrested from Uttar Pradesh. Police sources claimed that Verma was being brought to Delhi for questioning. Sumit’s body was found by a police team,two days after he was abducted. Sumit’s father had received a ransom call from Verma,who demanded Rs 2 lakh. “We will interrogate Verma once he is brought to Delhi,” a police source said. Sumit’s father Radheshyam Tiwari said: “Police have been keeping me updated about the case. I could not meet the SHO today. I will ask him about the case soon.”