Kathmandu, Oct. 8 -- The Department of Money Laundering Investigation raided the houses of Prabhu Shumsher Rana, brother of former chief justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, and associates on Wednesday, widening a probe into alleged attempts to influence court cases and secure the release of controversial businessman Deepak Bhatta.

Officials said the department's team also searched the homes of former High Court judges Nawaraj Thapaliya and Dipak Timilsina, as well as Nabin Raj Basnet. The team collected documents and checked electronic devices for investigation.

A senior department official said the investigation into Prabhu Rana and Basnet had begun a few months ago, while Thapaliya and Timilsina were brought under scrutiny more recently ...