Lalita Niwas land grab: 12 convicted, Gachchhadar acquitted

KATHMANDU, FEBRURY 16: The Special Court yesterday convicted a dozen people in the case of Lalita Niwas land embezzlement. A joint bench of judges Khusi Prasad Tharu, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Ritendra Thapa not only convicted 12 persons but also declared that the land registered and transferred under 65 individuals would be sequestrated. Special Court spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Karki informed that the verdict delivered warranted the land back and recovery of the loss incurred over embezzlement of Lalita Niwas public land.

As per the court order, Ram Kumar Subedi, Shova Kant Dhakal, owner of Bhatbhateni supermarket, Min Bahadur Gurung, then secretaries at the land ministry, Chhabi Raj Pant and Dip Basnyat and even the family of Subarna Shumsher have been found guilty. Others on the list of convicts are Kaladhar Deuja, Surendra Man Kapali, Yukta Prasad Shrestha, and Jagat Prasad Pudasaini. Rs 19.6 million would be collected as recovery combined from then secretaries Chhabiraj Pant and Dip Basnyat and then employees of the land revenue office and land reform office for embezzling 19 ropanis of land.

Meanwhile, the court has given a clean chit to then Minister for Physical Infrastructures, Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, then Ministers for Land Reform, Dambar Bahadur Shrestha and Chandra Dev Joshi in this case. Similarly, then Secretary Dinesh Hari Adhikari was also acquitted.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority registered a corruption case at the Special Court on February 5, 2020, citing 113 ropanis of public land of Lalita Niwas was transferred and registered in the names of individuals. The CIAA had made defendants to 175 people, including four former ministers and three former secretaries in this case.