Kathmandu: Former Tourism minister Tarini Datt Chataut who has been served notice by the Patan Apellate court to present himself before the judicial authority within a month or so is still at large.
Mr. Chataut allegedly is one who enjoyed immense benefits from the most infamous Lauda air procurement deals.
The former minister has become Nepal’s Most Wanted Person because he is being searched by the competent Nepal’s police force since two weeks or so but in vain.
To recall, former minister Chataut vanished in Kathmandu’s thin air together with yet another most wanted personality involved in the Lauda embezzlement is RNA’s marketing director Ram Raj Upadhyaya.
However, his intimate party colleagues located former minister Chataut last week at Koirala’s official residence who had perhaps come there to attend a party meeting. It was his first “appearance” in the society after his “grand escapade” last month.
Were Prime Minister a truly law abiding citizen and a committed democrat, he should have informed the police and managed the arrest of Chataut right inside his official quarter on that day. However, he did not for unknown reasons.
Most fortunately, hundreds and thousands of NTV watchers could yet again see the face of the ‘most wanted person’ Monday evening that was seen quietly listening to the House proceedings amidst the crowd of the lawmakers.
Question now arises as to why the Nepal police who could nab the rest of the RNA officials involved in the Lauda air deal from their private bed-rooms could not approach Chataut with firm hands? This also means that the police is afraid of the would be wrath from some powerful quarters should they nab former minister Chataut on their own. But question arises who could be those great personalities at the higher political echelons acting like a shield to defend Chataut and for what reasons? Intriguing indeed.
In effect, the police know the whereabouts of Chataut. The police also have seen Chataut twice at two different occasions: the first time in Baluatar and very recently inside the parliament on June 25 afternoon.
It is time that those who were behind Chataut impress upon him to present himself before the court and face the court as a brave boy.
Absconding for longer periods for fear of penal actions will only double the people’s suspicion.