Nepal Police on Sunday arrested former home affairs and law minister of Koshi province Lilaballabh Adhikari from Biratnagar. Adhikari, who is accused of human trafficking, was detained after taking permission from the court.

According to sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Adhikari will be brought to Kathmandu in an aircraft soon.

On Saturday, his CPN-UML party suspend Adhikari from party responsibilities following allegations of involvement in a human trafficking case.

The controversy arose when Adhikari, along with three others, was sent back from Tokyo after being flagged by Japanese immigration over suspicious documents. Adhikari, who reportedly circumvented mandatory travel protocols, later resigned from his ministry position amid growing ethical concerns.

Initial findings of the Nepal Police show that those who allegedly forged passports and went to Japan with Adhikari paid over Rs 1 million each to attend an event in Tokyo.

Adhikari LEAVE for Japan on October 29 without informing the relevant authorities to attend an event organized by Metropolitan Tokyo.

The other three individuals who accompanied him were detained for investigation by the police, but Adhikari had avoided arrest by presenting his ministerial ID.

Adhikari, a lawyer by profession, represents Morang Constituency 2(b) and has served several terms in the provincial assembly.

Holding a press conference immediately after submitting his resignation from the ministry, he maintained that he was not involved in any illegal activity.