Kathmandu, July 15 -- The Kathmandu District Court on Tuesday sentenced former deputy prime minister and CPN-UML leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi to four years in prison for his role in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, in which Nepali citizens were passed off as Bhutanese refugees in a scheme to send them to the United States.

Former home minister Bal Krishna Khand was sentenced to two years in prison. Rayamajhi was also fined Rs40,000, while Khand was fined Rs20,000.

A single bench of judge Tej Bahadur Khadka at the Kathmandu District Court on Tuesday determined the sentences for the 16 individuals who were convicted in the case. According to the court's information officer, Shiva Khatiwada, Rayamajhi was convicted of fraud, organised crim...