Indian couple comes cropper in Kathmandu casino

An Indian couple, who after losing a substantial sum at a casino charged it with trying to poison and cheat them, have withdrawn the case they filed against it and offered a written apology.

An Indian couple, who after losing a substantial sum at a Kathmandu casino charged it with trying to poison and cheat them, have withdrawn the case they filed against it and offered a written apology.

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Raj Kumar Jain, said to be a resident of Surat in Gujarat, came to Kathmandu early this year with his wife Prerana and their child. The Jains, who had been coming to Kathmandu frequently and playing at the casinos, first played at Casino Royale, the same place where formerly internationally wanted criminal Charles Sobhraj was arrested.

As per the policy of the six casinos in Kathmandu, patrons playing with large sums of money are given facilities like free accommodation in the neighbouring five-star hotel and complimentary food and drinks.

However, after an initial winning spree, the Jains reportedly lost their money and stopped playing. Consequently, the five-star Yak and Yeti Hotel, where they were staying, told them to vacate their room.

The couple then moved to Casino Everest, where the same thing happened. After losing about NRS 1,00,000, they reportedly stopped playing but went on staying at the casino's neighbouring five-star hotel, without paying for their room, meals and drinks.

When the hotel asked them to shift, an enraged Jain drank a large quantity of tranquilisers with whiskey and fell ill.

As he was rushed to hospital, his wife accused the casino authorities of trying to poison him and complained to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. The couple had played at casino Everest last year too when they won a large sum of money. However, they did not take all their winnings, preferring to leave Rs 11,00,000 with the casino for future games.

This year, when they ran out of money, they reportedly told the casino they wanted to withdraw the deposit but had left the receipt home. When the casino allowed them to withdraw the money on a duplicate receipt, the Jains, according to the casino authorities, produced the original receipt and demanded to be paid again.

When the casino refused, Prerana Jain filed a case, demanding over Rs 17,00,000 from the casino as their winnings and the interest accruing on it.

After filing the case in March, the couple reportedly started harassing the casino, asking them to settle the matter out of court.

However, this month when the couple ran out of money, they made a volt face.

In exchange for air tickets to India, the payment of Jain's hospital bill and an unspecified sum to cover their "most urgent expenses", the Jains gave Casino Everest a written apology, admitting they tried "to harm the casino by absolutely wrong allegations" and withdrew the case.

In the letter dated September 10, they said, "We even defamed the casino by claiming return of deposits which we had already received...we were treated very nicely by the casino and we apologise for our wrong allegations... Casino Everest was not obliged to give us anything at all and yet considering our financial problems and (our) being a longtime customer, had offered us... in the presence of an official of the Indian Embassy, return tickets to India and paying hotel and hospital bills..."

Casino Everest hit the headlines recently when a Canadian of Indian origin filed another case against it, accusing if of cheating him at black jack.

However, police later said Amit Bedi, the disgruntled gambler, was wanted by Interpol for crimes committed in Canada.