KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a major corruption case against 93 individuals, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, at the Special Court on Thursday. However, the CIAA has come under fire for excluding Indian nationals Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, despite their alleged central involvement in a wide-reaching land scam tied to Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal.
According to the 632-page charge sheet, large-scale illegal land transactions took place in 10 districts across Nepal under the guise of promoting herbal medicine and education. The company behind the transactions, Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal, is officially registered in Nepal, but four of its five directors are Indian citizens.
While Shaligram Singh, the only Nepali director, has been named as a defendant, Ramdev (patron) and Balkrishna (chairperson) have not been included in the case. This omission has raised eyebrows, as both are listed as top decision-makers in official company records, and their names appear prominently in the alleged corruption network.
The company was registered on October 7, 2007 (20 Ashoj 2064) with registration number 84/064/065, and its PAN number is 302752795. The directors’ details submitted to the Company Registrar include: Swami Ramdev, patron (Indian passport: Z-117901), address: Patanjali Yogpeeth, Bahadrabad, Haridwar, India, Acharya Balkrishna, chairperson (Indian passport: Z-1339050), same address, Mahant Rajendra Das, member (no passport listed), Rajendra Singh, member (Indian passport: Z-8307610 [old], G-30053007 [new]) and Shaligram Singh, member (Nepali citizen, address: Kathmandu-7, Sifal).
Despite the company’s foreign leadership, it was allowed to buy land far exceeding the legal ceiling, under special permissions secured from the Ministry of Land Reform and even the Cabinet.
Suspected land acquisitions by Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal: Kavrepalanchok – 815 ropani, Lamjung – 300 ropani, Syangja – 250 ropani, Kathmandu Valley – 150 ropani, Dang – 75 bigha, Bara & Parsa – 40 bigha, Dhanusha – 25 bigha, and Chitwan – 15 bigha.
The CIAA’s investigation focused mainly on Kavre, where the company is alleged to have illegally bought land in Chalalganesh, Srikhadnpur, Sanga, and Mahendrajyoti, totaling over 800 ropani.
Legal experts have criticized the CIAA’s decision not to name Ramdev and Balkrishna as defendants. “If foreign nationals can register a company and buy land through it, why can’t they be prosecuted for its illegal dealings?” one expert questioned.
The case has sparked a political storm, with concerns that the CIAA may have hesitated to include high-profile Indian nationals due to diplomatic sensitivities.
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