Guthi Sansthan officials held for corruption

Kathmandu, December 17

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today arrested two officials of Tripureshwor-based Kathmandu District Office of Guthi Sansthan for allegedly receiving bribe from a service-seeker and returning it to the concerned person later fearing action on graft charge.

Joint Secretary Pradip Kumar Koirala, CIAA spokesperson, said administration Chief Narayan Chaudhary and administration Deputy-chief Jay Prasad Regmi of Guthi Sansthan were taken into custody from their office. The duo had received bribe for maintaining record of plot of Guthi land. Guthi Sansthan has been investigating the disputed land situated in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, after it was found to have been occupied by various persons.

The amount they received in bribe and returned to the concerned service-seeker has not been disclosed. The anti-graft body said inquiry into the case was under way. The CIAA has also filed a graft case against non-gazetted first class officer Narayan Raj Mishra and office assistant Bhaikaji Gautam of Bhaktapur-based Land Reform and Land Revenue Office at the Special Court today.

The duo were recently arrested with bribe amount of Rs 40,000 they received from a service-seeker for adjusting land records of tenants. During investigation, the CIAA had found that Mishra had asked Gautam to receive the bribe on his behalf.

They have been prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002. The CIAA named Gautam as an accomplice for receiving the bribe amount for his boss.

In yet another anti-graft move, the CIAA filed separate chargesheets against seven employees of district-based offices of Nepal Electricity Authority for allegedly joining the service by submitting fake certificates of education qualification. Radha Kishan Tharu, Krishna Kumar Bhandari, Ram Bahadur Moktan, Khem Prasad Rimal, Shumsher Tamang, Lalu Dagaura and Ram Nandan Raut Yadav had produced fake certificates of grade 7-10 for the purpose of getting employed in NEA as office assistants.