Kathmandu, Aug 2 : Currently, ‘Kotihom’, a religious ceremony, at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu is making headlines. Basanta Basnet, an editor, reported in the news portal, Online Khabar, focusing on Devi Pratibha, a religious story reciter at the ceremony. The event connects religion, charity, IT sector, corporate, and parliamentary politics.
The report, titled “Devi Pratibha ji says, “Pyaar se bolo na” highlights her ability to captivate listeners with her stories.
Stories like the ones Devi Pratibha tells are not often based on fact and evidence, leading listeners to live in imagination instead of living a practical life, argues Basnet. He also compares the religious ceremony to a platform where religious people, corporate houses, educational institutions and political leaders meet mainly for advertisement purposes.
On the other hand, Devi Pratibha herself has been under fire for her view on divorce. She considers divorce a sin. Neha Sharma criticises Pratibha’s stance, saying it undermines the hard-earned laws of equality, and advocates for a return to medieval religious laws.
The story shifts focus on Bal Yogeshwor known as Bijaya Bhandari, who identifies himself as a religious story reciter, and co-operates Manab Sewa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation hosting the religious ceremony. Bhandari has been accused of frauds. He was arrested on 23 August, 2014 on charges of swindling money under the pretexts of sending people to the United States for religious preaching.
He was also charged with absconding with the money collected from a Maha Yagya, a religious ceremony, held in Gulmi from 14-28 September, 2019, and in Chitwan the same year.
Kantipur and other media published a news about his fraudulent business. Dated 9 September, 2012, Nepal Weekly, sister organisation of Kantipur Publications, published a long news article titled ‘Mahathag (fraud) Maharaj’ by Janak Raj Sapkota.
Co-written by Sapkota, Ramesh Kumar Paudel and Ghana Shyam Gautam, a news was published in Kantipur on 25 January, 2020 under the title ‘Maharajko Abaranma Thagi’ (Fraud under the pretext of Maharaj). Two days later, a story was published under the title of Maharaj Birudha Thagi Muddako Chang (Fraud cases filed up against Maharaj), and six days later, a news was published under the title of ‘Maharaj Ko Rajnitik Saino’ (Political nexus of Maharaj) under the byline of Sapkota.
Kantipur also published an editorial on this topic on 2 February, 2020.
On 25 September, 2019, Nepal Live published a news under the title of ‘Bishnu Prapannacharya’, Rajnitik Pahunch Dekhayera Maha Yagya Sanchanal’ (Operation of Maha Yagya through political access).
Similarly, Online Khabar also published a news about Bhandari’s fraudulent activities under the title of ‘Swami Pakrau’ (Swami arrested). It took reference from Kantipur Daily.
Bhandari’s controversy
Bhandari was arrested in September 2014 after a complaint was lodged at the District Police Range, Kathmandu and the then Crime Division, accusing him of defrauding various people of over Rs 12 million.
On 21 November, 2016, a single bench of Kathmandu District Court Judge Hari Pratap KC sentenced Bhandari to 2 years and 6 months in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 81 lakh 85 thousand on the same charge.
However, he challenged the district court’s verdict in the high court, Patan. But, the court upheld the district court’s ruling, sentencing him to one year and six months in prison, and imposing Rs 150,000 in fine.
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