Kathmandu, November 26

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today filed a charge-sheet against Madan Prasad Gupta, a Nayab Subba (non-gazetted first class officer) of Simara-based Land Revenue Office, in the Special Court for allegedly accumulating disproportionate assets and leading a lavish lifestyle from the ill-gotten money.

The anti-graft body had launched a thorough investigation into his income source after it received complaint from a service-seeker that he had accumulated assets worth tens of millions of rupees by misusing his power and authority.

Gupta had joined the civil service as a Kharidar (non-gazetted second class officer) on 11 July 1990. Investigation by the CIAA showed that Gupta had failed to disclose and establish source of disproportionate assets equivalent to around Rs 148.2 million, out of the cash and property he earned until fiscal 2018-19 as a government official, said Joint Secretary Pradip Kumar Koirala, CIAA spokesperson.

Of the total assets worth around Rs 193.7 million, only Rs 45.5 million was found to have been earned from legitimate source.

According to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Gupta and his wife Rita Devi and other family members had spent or invested more than four times the amount he earned from legitimate source during the period.

The disproportionate money was spent or invested in land, house, vehicle, shares, study of children and banks and financial institutions, wedding parties and lending. Spokesperson Koirala said Gupta had earned around Rs 148.2 million illegally as he could not establish its sources.

The anti-graft body has also listed Gupta’s wife Rita Devi, sons Vikky and Rikky and relatives Kabita Kumari, Neeraj Kumar Gupta, Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Juguli Prasad and Jagat Narayan Yadav as defendants in the charge-sheet filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002, for the purpose of confiscation of disproportionate assets.

The CIAA has sought fine equivalent to the amount in question and imprisonment as per section 29 and 47 of the act.