OAG reviewing Sandeep’s case

2026-03-02 - 08:05

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has assigned two lawyers to handle Sandeep Rai Chamling’s (of Pandora Biz) case, given the number of people and issues involved. The OAG is currently reviewing various documents, evidence, and possible charges submitted by the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP). In particular, certain documents from the Department of Revenue and Customs (DRC) and the Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (CCAA) are under review, along with the RBP’s investigation report. Based on its verification, the OAG may request additional information or decide to add or drop certain charges. It has also indicated that it may contact the victims directly. Meanwhile, the victims are wondering about the progress of the case and when they will receive refunds and justice. One victim said the process is taking too long, another expressed concern that the case might have been dismissed, while a third counselled patience. Many victims are still awaiting refunds. Since October 2025, The Bhutanese has published a series of investigative stories on Sandeep. Sandeep and his company aggressively contacted people through social media, direct messages, and phone calls, promising to teach trading and cryptocurrency earning methods for a fee. However, once participants paid and joined, they found that the focus was on recruiting new members rather than providing any real training. He made flashy videos and bold online claims about earning large amounts from trading, but a closer review revealed many flaws in the purported trading content. Over the years, Sandeep created several crypto trading mentorship groups with fees ranging from Nu 2,777 to Nu 6,000, with the latest being Nu 6,262. Victims say he defrauded many people who never received the promised services. Sandeep Rai Chamling of Pandora Biz collected more than Nu 10 million in mentorship fees from hundreds of members over the years, promising to teach trading and cryptocurrency earning methods, but failed to deliver. He exploited the rising popularity of crypto in Bhutan, using Facebook and TikTok to market his mentorship programs and himself. He frequently posted videos claiming to earn hundreds of US dollars daily through trading, alongside inspirational quotes about making money. In November 2023, the CCAA first became aware of PandoraBiz.com offering online crypto mentorship classes, where participants paid between Nu 2,777 and Nu 6,000 and were introduced to FreeBitco.in (later found to be an online gambling platform). The CCAA referred the matter to the Bhutan Qualifications and Professional Certification Authority (BQPCA), as Sandeep’s company was offering training without authorization. In February 2024, the BQPCA issued a notification advising the public not to undertake such training, and Sandeep was ordered to cease operations. He continued nonetheless. When the BQPCA caught him again, he was fined Nu 10,000 and required to pay taxes on the earnings at the time. The matter did not end there. Sandeep launched the “SRC Mentorship Plan,” collecting fees from multiple people and again promising to teach crypto trading and cryptocurrency earning through FreeBitco.in. He also earned additional income from online gambling by receiving referral fees from FreeBitco.in. The RBP contacted more than 100 victims during its investigation. The CCAA has received 69 official written complaints, with a claimed refund amount of Nu 382,137.