KATHMANDU: In a drinking water supply corruption scandal, the Special Court on Tuesday imposed a Rs 13 million fine on construction company, promoter and consultants.

A three-member bench of judges Om Prakash Mishra, Bhola Prasad Kharel and Gauri Bahadur Karki imposed the fine convicting the construction company, promoter and consultants of Santosh Construction Service Pvt Ltd, which had carried out the Naya Bazaar Drinking Water Supply Project.

The bench found their hand in the scam, causing the client to lose Rs 15 million by using low-quality goods and flouting the construction norms. The court imposed Rs 13 million fine on Keshav Raj Kandel, managing director, NBDWP. The court also slapped a three-month jail term, besides a fine of Rs 10,000 on consultants Guna Raj Shrestha, Anil Shrestha and Dinesh Raj Manandhar for their involvement in the corruption.

The bench, however, issued clean chits to 14 persons, including Manohar Lal Agrawal, Jivan Raj Kandel, Ujjwal Raj Kandel, Kailash Shrestha and Bishwombhar Prasad Parajuli. CIAA had filed the case against them five years ago.