Varsity officials acquitted of graft

KATHMANDU: The Special Court on Monday acquitted Pokhara University Vice-chancellor Khagendra Bhattarai and all other defendants of corruption charges filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of authority last year.

Special Court Spokesperson Krishna Prasad Paudel said that all the defendants were acquitted of the corruption charge due to lack of evidence.

The CIAA had filed cases against 24 former and incumbent officials for allegedly embezzling university fund and haphazardly granting affiliation to colleges. A bench comprising Special Court Judge Mohan Raman Bhattarai, Bhupendra Prasad Rai and Narendra Kumar Siwakoti acquitted the defendants.

CIAA had also filed corruption case against Registrar of the university Man Bahadur KC and some other officials. CIAA had claimed in the charge sheet that the defendants had embezzled more than Rs 3 crore.