KATHMANDU: The ownership of the alluring complex on the right side of the main entrance of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) bombshells people who are concerned with the safety and security of the airport and various smuggling scams.

The ownership of this eye-catching structure is found to be under a controversial businessman Deepak Malhotra and his business partner — the main alleged in the gold smuggling scam Bimal Poddar’s group.

Malhotra’s business partner, Poddar is a trader allegedly involved in the 33 kg gold smuggling and the Sanam Shakya murder case that had become a talk of the town some two years ago.

The special investigation team formed under the leadership of Ishwor Raj Poudel, then Joint-secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs had nabbed Malhotra’s partner Poddar on June 19, 2018, in the gold smuggling allegation.

Controversial Malhotra and Poddar group have ‘captured’ 50 ropanis land of TIA for 30 years.

Abusing the power of Lok Man Singh Karki, then Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Malhotra had enticed the TIA officials and managed to get a contract signed with Rasuwa KD Joint Venture Company on October 18, 2012, to get the 50 ropani of the TIA’s land.

Trader Malhotra had been a partner of then CIAA Chief Karki, who was dismissed by the Supreme Court and had rented Karki’s Baneshwor-based residence for the storehouse.

The sheer negligence shown towards the building codes and the standard has made CAAN board skeptical about controversial trader Malhotra and his group whereas the group itself has been trying to influence the CAAN BoD through various power centers.

Although Karki was sacked at the Supreme Court’s order, the contract he granted to Malhotra and his group is still lying valid though the commitments made in the contract are also lying neglected.

TIA sources claim that the Malhotra group has been carrying out the construction activities without taking permission for ‘building construction’ from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. They also claim that most of the materials used for the construction are also of low quality.

After finding that the group has been using low-quality material and has not abided by the spirit of the contract, the Board of Directors at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has been discussing measures to be taken against Malhotra.

However, the Malhotra group has been trying to resolve the issue through various settings and pressure on the Authority’s BOD.

The sheer negligence shown towards the building codes and the standard has made CAA board skeptical about controversial trader Malhotra and his group whereas the group itself has been trying to influence the CAA BOD through various power centers.

Looming security threats at TIA

The security situation has further aggravated after the country’s only international airport has fallen in the hands of the groups involved in the organized smuggling of gold for long.

Although the smuggling and security situation of the international airport has often drawn international concern, the instance letting the smugglers capture the construction of the most sensitive area of the airport has frowned the eyebrows of both the national and international security experts.

Former DIG of Nepal Police, Keshav Adhikari opines that security issues deserve prime attention when the construction activities are carried out in sensitive areas like an international airport.

“Any construction activities going on in the sensitive places like airport deserve special attention from the security point of view,” he told Khabarhub, adding, “When the construction of the business complex is going on in such places, the security strategy should get prime concern as a minor lapse can cause a heavy loss for the nation.”

He adds that people with crooked intent are likely to damage the national glory and national security at stake for their personal benefit.

“How can we ensure security when a group smuggling gold for more than 5 years establishing a setting at the airport manages to bag construction project and get a complex of their own?” an official at Nepal Police wondered at the fate of the airport provided the wrong decision is not corrected instantly.

Former DIG Hemanta Malla also regards the security strategy of prime concern in carrying out such construction activities.

“Any construction work that is carried out in the sensitive areas like the airport should be judged from a security perspective,” Malla told Khabarhub.

He adds, “The shops and some constructions in the airport are already found to have been involved in smuggling and transactions of fake currency, hence attention should be paid to the fact that such places are never misused for such things.”

An official at TIA reiterated on the need to take strict measures to hold such activities as the smugglers and traffickers are sure to make their buildings haven for such illegal and unlawful activities.

It may also be noted that the Country Report on Terrorism 2019 had said that Nepal’s sole international airport in Kathmandu could be used as a transit or staging point for international terrorists.

Deal signed under pressure

Controversial businessman Malhotra in collaboration with the Poddar Group had been able to own the land of TIA at the behest of then CIAA Chief Commissioner Karki.

On October 18, 2012, former General Manager of TIA Ratish Chandra Lal Suman had leased out 52 ropanis of land to Malhotra Group for Rs 7.8 million annual rent, which was witnessed by Malhotra.

A parking lot and a business complex have been built on the area. As per the agreement, a garden, a tourism park and a canteen were also to be constructed.

Spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Raj Kumar Chhetri said the land was leased out to Rasuwa KD Joint Venture Company.

He says, “The land was leased out to Rasuwa KD Joint Venture Company but I have no idea about the company holders.”

As per the agreement signed between the then cabinet and the Rasuwa KC Joint Venture on September 2, 2010, the construction had to be completed by October 18, 2012 (within 21 months).

The agreement said the facilities had been handed over to the CAAN within 30 years of the agreement signed.

However, the Malhotra group has not constructed the facilities as per the agreement, nor has it accomplished the task of constructions.

Malhotra, who had started a business by importing wristwatches in 2037 BS, is a controversial businessman, who has been often criticized for reaping benefits by becoming close with the government, no matter which party forms it.

Even those facilities constructed do not comply with the agreement, the Office of the Auditor-General had earlier mentioned it in its 56th report.

The construction entrepreneurs had built an underground parking lot against the agreement and the height of the complex is 52 feet against the 37 feet as laid down in the agreement, said the report.

Besides, the task has not been completed on time. The Auditor-General has pointed out a fault at the height of the complex as it is 15 feet higher than what was stipulated in the deal, posing a security risk.

Despite all these negligence and the blatant violation of the agreement, the government has failed to take action against the Malhotra group.

Fails to clear rent for years

The company has to clear the rent every year as per the agreement which was signed in 2012.

The Malhotra group had leased out 52 ropanis of land for 30 years for constructing a complex and a parking lot on the arrival side of the TIA.

As per the agreement, the Malhotra Group has to pay Rs 7.8 million per annum in rent.

“Some rent has been collected in the middle but whole rent is yet to be collected.

A committee has been formed to settle the dispute. The committee is yet to submit the report,” said Spokesperson Chhetri.

“We will start collecting rent once the panel submits the report,” he added.

On the other hand, the Malhotra Group is lobbying with the political power to evade the rent payment.

Malhotra, who had started a business by importing wristwatches in 2037 BS, is a controversial businessman, who has been often criticized for reaping benefits by becoming close with the government, no matter which party forms it.

Malhotra, who is the sole distributor of watches, has been operating a parking lot and a shopping complex at the TIA, breaching the agreement.