KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 19

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today filed a chargesheet at the Special Court against 37 persons for their alleged involvement in corruption by embezzling public property.

According to the CIAA, they had transferred or received land plots owned by then Mahendranagar-2 Development Committee in collusion without the decision of its board of directors as per the Town Development Act and Town Development Directive.

Those sued by the anti-graft body include both the erstwhile officials of the committee, District Land Revenue Office of Kanchanpur, survey office and those who managed to get the land registration certificate in their names.

The defendants mentioned in the chargesheet include Gopi Rasaili, Paltu Rana, Pushkal Chaudhary, Chandra Prasad Chaudhary, Pushparaj Bhatta, Tula Datta Joshi, Krishna Kumar Niraula, Bishan Singh Thapa, Ashok Kumar Bhandari, Shankar Bahadur Bista, Daljit Bhatta, Jaya Bahadur Bista, Ghanashyam Datta Bista, Ganesh Bahadur Ayer, Nayan Singh Kunwar, Bhim Singh Rawal, Narendra Bahadur Ayer, Namaraj Bhatta, Mohan Chand Thakuri, Pushparaj Joshi, Lilawati Dhami, Jaya Bahadur Kami, Mahesh Bista, Nawaraj Ayer, Janaki Chand, Mahesh Prasad Dahal, Belu Devi Kami, and Madan Damai.

The land plots are currently in the name of Anita Gupta, Laxmi Bista, Gita Devi Singh, Phunni Kapadi, Janaki Kumar Hamal, Padma Devi Ojha, Man Bahadur Thapa, Guma Devi Panta, and Laxmi Baduwal, who are also among the defendants implicated by the anti-graft body.

All the defendants have been charged under various sections and sub-sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002.

In the chargesheet, the CIAA has demanded maximum punishment against the defendants along with fine ranging from Rs 820,000 to Rs 4.68 million. The anti-graft body has also sought forfeiture of the land plots from the current landowners and registration thereof in the name of the Government of Nepal.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 20, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.