Court Extends Detention of Deepak Bhatt and Sulabh Agrawal by Seven More Days

Kathmandu — The Kathmandu District Court has granted permission to keep Deepak Bhatt and Sulabh Agrawal in custody for an additional seven days for investigation into a money laundering case.

The order was issued by a bench of Judge Tilak Bahadur Karki after reviewing the request of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation and hearing arguments from both sides.

The department had sought a 30-day extension, stating that the investigation had reached its final stage but some procedures were still pending. However, the court approved only a seven-day extension for further investigation.

According to the court, based on the case files and reports received, the investigation is in its final phase, but additional time is required to prepare the opinion report.

The extension has been granted in accordance with Section 17(4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2008.

Earlier, senior advocates Krishna Prasad Sapkota and Sabita Bhandari Baral, along with advocates Surendra Kumar Mahato and Raman Kumar Karn, argued on behalf of the defendants, while investigation officers presented the department’s side.

The court has also instructed the department to complete the remaining investigation and submit a report with its conclusions.