Hyderabad youths in Nepal custody, families plead for government help
HYDERABAD: Nepal Police arrested seven people, including six Indian nationals from Hyderabad, for allegedly running a fake travel lottery scam, officials said. The accused include Nepali national Bibek Regmi (26) from Saptari district. He was living in Gatthaghar, Thimi in Bhaktapur district.
The six Indians are Hussain Sayed (39) Sajid Omar Sayed (44) Mohamad Imran (34) Mirkhalid Hussain (33) Rajak Mohmad (40) and Samada Giri (42). All of them are from Hyderabad, Telangana.
Officials from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office said the group was staying in Mahalaxmi Municipality of Lalitpur district at the time of the arrest.
Raid on March 17
Police carried out a raid on March 17, 2026, at the office of a company named Sheertel Holidays in Lalitpur.
They detained around 40 employees during the operation, including the owner Bibek Regmi.
Police later released the Nepali nationals. However, they kept the six Indian nationals in custody.
Families deny involvement
Family members of the detained men denied their involvement in the fraud. They said the accused worked as salesmen and customer care staff. According to them, the men had been working for the past three months and received regular salaries.
Amjed Ullah Khan, spokesperson of Majlis Bachao Tahreek, wrote to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar seeking help.
In his letter dated April 4, 2026, he said the detained men appear to be employees with no direct role in the scam. He requested the Ministry of External Affairs to instruct the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to ensure their safety. He also asked for legal support and early repatriation.
The families said they are distressed and urgently need support.
