According to the parents of over 70 students pursuing MBBS and MD degrees in various Chinese universities, the Kalimati-based Active International Consultancy defrauded them of over Rs 45 million as tuition fees that never reached the respective universities. The students, who have completed six months to one year of their studies, have been issued a one-month’s deadline to pay their fees in full. Raja Bahadur Jha, Mukesh Jha, Anita Shakya and Prabina Khokhali of the consultancy collected Rs 1.2 million each from MBBS students and Rs 750,000 from MD students as fees.

Although the police arrested Raja Bahadur three weeks ago, they have taken few initiatives to nab the other fraudsters, said the families of the students. “We paid all of the tuition fees to the consultancy,” said Neela Jha, one of the guardians. “We want our money back so that we can pay the remaining fees to the university.” According to Tara Kumari Rai, coordinator of the families’ committee, two students—Rabi Singh of Kathmandu and Santosh Bashyal of Gajuri, have already returned home after failing to post the fees. 

“All the students will be deported if their fees are not paid within a month,” said Rai.

The students are enrolled in Qingdao University, Liaoning University, Chau Chang University, Jingdao University and Tenzin University, among others. 

The consultancy, run under the Motherland Charitable Foundation Nepal, was registered at the Office of the Company Registrar in 2009 and has been sending students to China for the last three years.

“Raja Bahadur will be presented to the court in a couple of days and we will arrest the remaining three very soon,” said DSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka. The guardians are also demanding that the government ask the Chinese government to help their children continue their study.