KATHMANDU: The Special Court has acquitted Rajendra Basnet, a former Office Assistant at the Land Revenue Office in Chabahil, who was allegedly sued for amassing over 98 million rupees without a verified source, citing a lack of substantial evidence.

The allegations stem from four years ago when the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) claimed that property worth approximately 98 million rupees had no verified source against Basnet. However, the Court declared Basnet innocent, citing insufficient specific evidence. Basnet began public service on November 4, 1988.

CIAA had probed Basnet’s property until mid-July 2018. The Basnets were reported to have purchased land worth around 67.4 million rupees in the name of Sita Basnet, the accused’s wife. Construction of a house on land registered under the name of Tukukumari Basnet, the accused’s mother, was also revealed.

Reportedly, they spent 3.976 million rupees on loans, 3.731 million on a vehicle purchase, and 570,000 on insurance. Additionally, CIAA confiscated 1.1 million rupees allegedly unaccounted for.

The Commission filed a case against Basnet’s niece, Kripa Basnet, for investing ten million rupees. Both Mrs. Basnet (the accused’s mother) and the niece were also respondents in the case. The Special Court’s Chairman Teknarayan Kunwar and members Ram Bahadur Thapa and Muraribabu Shrestha acquitted them.

Basnet, who had worked at the Chabahil-based Land Revenue Office for an extended period, initially faced charges of tax evasion. Further investigation alleged unaccounted wealth of 1.1 million rupees in Basnet’s possession.