Gambling Issue Escalates in Attaria, Kailali

Attaria – A surge in gambling activities has been reported across Attaria, with groups of gamblers found even within hotel offices and organizations.

The local police have been actively addressing this issue, making several arrests over recent months. In Baisakh 2081 alone, five gamblers were apprehended in Attaria.

The police seized 155,200 rupees in cash during a raid in a second-floor room at Redson Plaza. Similarly, in October 2080, the Area Police Office in Malakheti arrested five individuals from Godawari Municipality-4 Baskota, with 20,570 rupees and gambling paraphernalia.

Those arrested include 55-year-old Maniraj Mahata, 52-year-old Arjun Khatri, 42-year-old Ram Bahadur Bohra from Jawakhal, and 37-year-old Tej Bahadur Khadka and 40-year-old Lokendra Nath from Godawari Municipality-1.

In total, 19 gamblers were detained in the fiscal year 2080/81, with the police seizing 230,855 rupees in cash. Ganga Bahadur Thapa, head of the Area Police Office in Malakheti, highlighted that significant legal action was taken against five gamblers in Attaria in just the last three months of that fiscal year. Gambling is a criminal offense under Nepalese law. Previously, the penalties were considered too lenient to act as effective deterrents.

The Gambling Act 2020 imposed a mere 200 rupee fine for first-time offenders and up to nine months imprisonment for repeat offenders. However, with the introduction of the Criminal Code in August 2075, penalties were increased.

Section 125 of the code stipulates up to three months imprisonment or a fine of up to 30,000 rupees for first-time offenders. For a second offense, the punishment increases to one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to 50,000 rupees.

Further offenses can result in an additional three months imprisonment and fines up to 10,000 rupees. The law also mandates the confiscation of gambling instruments and any movable or immovable property obtained through gambling, although the premises used for gambling are not confiscated.The local authorities in Attaria are intensifying their efforts to curb gambling activities.

The community's concerns are being addressed through increased police patrols and stringent enforcement of gambling laws. The goal is to reduce the prevalence of gambling and its associated social issues, ensuring a safer and more law-abiding community.