Kathmandu: Nepal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has assured that all those accused and suspected in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam will be investigated impartially.

Shrestha made the assurance while receiving a memorandum from a delegation of the CPN (UML)-aligned Youth Association Nepal today.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the scam has posed a challenge to Nepal's journey towards good governance and prosperity. He said he has directed the Nepal Police to carry out and conclude investigations into the scam, unaffected by possible political pressure and unwanted influence.

Thirty people, including the former Home Minister, now face charges of crime against the State over their alleged roles in the scam. The case was registered by the Nepal Police on Wednesday.

Shrestha said a journey towards prosperity will remain obstructed until a nexus of corruption and commission is dismantled.

He said the government and police mechanism is clear about its stance against the scam and they are dealing with the matter with the determination to conclude it impartially and in a substantive way.

"We want each guilty in the case be prosecuted and no innocent be blamed for it," he said.

Shrestha ruled out the possibility of the protection of probable offenders on the basis of any political connection or nepotism and said that the police would bring those suspected in the case into investigation once it found evidences to suggest their involvements.

Acting Chair of the Youth Association Nepal Amit Lama demanded a fair investigation into the scam, urging the government not to divert the issue under any circumstances. He also expressed his concern over the 'leakage' of secret statements recorded during the investigations and evidences against the scam. He accused the government of intentionally leaking the information.

The Deputy Prime Minister assured the delegation that the government would not divert the issue and that the investigation would be conducted impartially. He also said that the government would take action against those found guilty of leaking the information.