Kathmandu, February 16:

Ambika Devi Shrestha, owner of Dwarika’s Hotel, today denied the claim that part of the hotel land belonged to someone else.

In a press meet, she presented complete record of the land and claimed that the land, where the hotel stood was transferred in her name from Mohan Kumari Shah in 1958 and she has been its lawful owner ever since.

“There is no relation of the hotel land to the land claimed by Krishna Murari Dhakal. The hotel stands in Battisputali and not in Thumki,” she said.

Dhakal has laid claim to four ropanis and one anna land at Thumki. Kathmandu District Court recently issued verdict in favour of Dhakal.

Challenging the verdict, Shrestha moved the Appellate Court Patan. The case is sub-judice.

Sabita Bhandari Baral, Shrestha’s lawyer said all the legal documents proved that the land belonged to Dwarika’s Hotel. According to her, the land claimed by Dhakal was not even in the periphery of the hotel. She requested people to save the heritage hotel from ruin.

On February 12, a group of people demanding evacuation had come to the hotel with a bulldozer. Baral said it was a violation of law. “While the court has not yet ordered evacuation of the hotel, how can one try forcible evacuation?”

Yadav Khanal, general secretary of Nepal Association of Tour Operators, said the kind of vandalism could affect the whole tourism industry and the reputation of the hotel. “Matters should be solved legally,” he said.