KATHMANDU: In an unprecedented move, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a sweeping corruption case against 93 individuals, including former Prime Minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, in connection with a controversial land deal involving Patanjali Yogpeeth in Kavrepalanchok.
The case, filed at the Special Court on Thursday, implicates high-ranking politicians, civil servants, former ministers, local land officials, and banking executives in what the CIAA alleges to be a massive misuse of public authority and resources.
The CIAA has accused former PM Nepal of authorizing decisions that caused a loss of Rs 185.85 million to the state during his tenure in 2010 when the Council of Ministers approved land acquisition for Patanjali, a company backed by Indian figures Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.
The agency has demanded imprisonment, fines, and recovery of the embezzled amount under multiple sections of the Corruption Prevention Act, 2002.
The case also names former Law Minister Prem Bahadur Singh, the late Land Reform Minister Dambar Shrestha (with his son Santosh Shrestha listed for recovery purposes), and the late Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire. Former secretaries, undersecretaries, and department heads from the Ministry of Land Reform have also been charged, including Chhabiraj Pant, Jeet Bahadur Thapa, and Keshar Bahadur Baniya.
Numerous land administration officials from the Kavrepalanchok Land Revenue Office — including Land Revenue Officers, Nayab Subbas, Kharidars, and other administrative staff — face charges for allegedly facilitating illegal land transfers, undervaluing property, and bypassing land ceiling regulations to benefit Patanjali.
Executives from Sunrise Bank — including then-CEO Kishor Kumar Maharjan, Assistant General Manager Neeta Pradhan, and several officers — have been charged for their alleged role in aiding the illegal transaction as accomplices under Section 22 of the anti-corruption law.
Staff of the Guthi Sansthan (Religious Trust Office) in Kavrepalanchok, including the then-office head, field officers, and assistants, are accused of misusing public assets by enabling the land transfer to a private company under pretense of religious and social use.
At the heart of the case is the 2010 Cabinet decision to allow Patanjali Yogpeeth to acquire 815 ropani of land in Sanga, Kavre, bypassing land ceiling laws.
Patanjali later applied to swap and relocate parts of this land — triggering suspicions of land speculation and manipulation, which the CIAA says was enabled by public officials and political leaders in violation of law.
This is the first time a sitting Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister has been charged in court by the CIAA in a corruption case. While past prime ministers were named in corruption controversies, they were not prosecuted due to “policy-level” immunity granted by previous CIAA leaderships.
The CIAA’s move marks a turning point in Nepal’s anti-corruption drive and has intensified political tensions, especially as Nepal leads a 10-member parliamentary party in the current House of Representatives.
If found guilty, the accused face jail terms, heavy fines, and seizure of property as per the provisions of the Corruption Prevention Act.
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