Kathmandu — 17 Americans and 1 Indian national have been arrested on charges of religious propaganda. They were arrested on charges of religious propaganda under the guise of labor donations while coming on tourist visas.

Police said that they were arrested after they preached religion while coming on labor donations to build a building for the Prerna Kalyankari Samaj at Deurali Saugat Chowk, Dharan Sub-metropolitan City-5, Sunsari. The District Administration Office, Sunsari, has handed them over to the Immigration Department for further investigation.

According to the Sunsari administration, American citizens Ryan Matthew Carter, Silas Daniel Fox, Russell Thomas Howells, Rose Brian Howells, Mark Alan Summers Matthew Brian Kennedy, Patrick Irvin Summers, Duane Michael Godling, Benjamin Ward Kaufman, Brian Ward Kaufman, Dylan Jackson Bonzo, Kathleen Sue Moore, Dawson Andrew Carter, James Nathan Austin, William Raymond Viviano Jr., Kenneth David Gray and James Ray Murphy III have been arrested. Similarly, a citizen of the Indian state of West Bengal, Basant Lama has also been arrested.

They have been taken into custody at the District Police Office, Sunsari, and their passports have been sent to the Immigration Department for investigation. According to the police, the investigation process was initiated against them after it was learned that they had reached Dharan for construction on Magh 22. An official said, “When their passports were checked, they were found to have entered Nepal on a tourist visa, but they violated their visa and build a church building. Therefore, further investigation is underway by taking their passports into custody.”

The arrested American citizens entered Nepal only on a 15-day visa, an official involved in the investigation said. According to immigration sources, an investigation is underway to determine what action to take against them based on the severity of their offense. The Immigration Act-2049 provides for the possibility of deporting them, preventing them from entering Nepal for a certain period.