GUWAHATI, May 30 � The commander-in-chief of militant outfit DHD(J), Niranjan Hojai is likely to lose all his properties in Nepal as the Government of that country, following the request of the Government of India, has �almost completed� the process of preparing the list of properties of the militant leader. It may be mentioned here that the DHD(J) is now under cease-fire agreement with the Government and Hojai has been released on bail for facilitating peace talks.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that in connection with a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the provisions of Money Laundering Act, the Centre wrote to Nepal Government with a request to attach the properties of Hojai in that country.
The Government of Nepal has identified properties worth over Rs five crore so far, which include a plot of land and a three story building in Kathmandu. Sources said that the next step would be attachment of the properties to be auctioned later for sending the money to the Government of India. The bank accounts of Hojai and his wife are also sealed.
The Government of Nepal has also arrested Hojai�s wife Sarita Giri Rai, her parents and brother in connection with a forgery case in this connection. Immediately after Hojai was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), his wife filed an affidavit in Nepal claiming that her husband was dead and transferred the properties in names of herself, her parents and brother.
Sources revealed that Hojai, who managed to obtain a passport of Nepal in the name of Nirmal Rai, opened two companies in Nepal, one dealing with land and properties and the other in transport business and he bought several plots of land in that country including a big plot with a building in Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, a team of the Central Government headed by a senior officer of the External Affairs Ministry is scheduled to visit Singapore shortly to look into the matter of Hojai obtaining properties in that country in connection with the same case of the ED.
Sources said that according to information available, Hojai, who opened a bank account in Singapore to obtain an international credit card to travel to various countries, transferred the major amount from that account to the account of his wife in Nepal, which has already been sealed.
However, Hojai became a partner in a China based company in Singapore and the main purpose of doing so was to get permission to settle in China. However, the fate of the company is not known and the team of the Government of India is likely to examine it during the visit.
