KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 6
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has designated Joint Secretary Mukesh Dangol as the acting Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) following the suspension of DG Pradeep Adhikari.
According to a ministry notice issued Friday, Adhikari was suspended after a minister-level decision on the same date. The arrangement has been made under Section 19 of the CAAN Act, 2053, assigning Dangol to oversee CAAN's operations until further notice.
The development comes amid a major corruption case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). On December 3, the CIAA arrested suspended CAAN DG Pradeep Adhikari and former CAAN Director Murari Bhandari, presenting them before the Special Court with a charge sheet listing six defendants.
The arrests relate to alleged irregularities in the construction of the Nalinchok helipad in Bhaktapur, with each defendant facing corruption claims amounting to NPR 135.7 million, according to Special Court spokesperson Krishna Sharan Lamichhane.
Adhikari and Bhandari are currently in custody at the Special Court's facility in Babarmahal as the investigation continues. CAAN is Nepal's aviation regulatory body responsible for licensing, infrastructure development and oversight of airports and helipads nationwide.