CIAA reveals details of ‘Litchi Bagaicha’ bribe deal involving former ministers Gupta and Shrestha

KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case at the Special Court against former minister Rajkumar Gupta, former minister and Nagarik Unmukti Party chair Ranjita Shrestha, and five others in connection with the ‘Litchi Bagaicha’ land transfer bribe deal in Pokhara’s Batulechour, Deep Birta area.

According to the CIAA’s charge sheet, Gupta, while serving as Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, had accepted bribes from a real estate agent in exchange for halting the transfer of Ram Chandra Adhikari, then Chief of the Kaski Land Revenue Office. The audio recording of their conversation, verified through forensic testing, confirmed the bribe negotiation, the CIAA stated.

The investigation found that the land plots numbered 25, 26, and 28 at the Deep Birta (Litchi Bagaicha) area of Pokhara Metropolitan City–16 were supposed to be transferred to Suraj Shah, heir of Durga Devi Shah, as per a court order. However, the process was delayed by Adhikari. Shah then contacted broker Sujan Kumar Tamang, who struck a deal with Yam Kumari Gurung and Tulsiram Budha Magar, promising 40% of the profit in return for facilitating the transfer.

During the process, Adhikari was transferred to the Lamjung Land Revenue Office, after which he and the brokers jointly filed a writ at the Patan High Court seeking to suspend his transfer. When that failed, they approached former ministers Gupta and Shrestha, requesting assistance in reassigning Chiranjivi Paudel, then Kaski Land Revenue Office chief, and appointing Kham Bahadur Pun to the Land Problem Resolution Commission.

The charge sheet alleges that on January 12–13, 2024, Gupta and Shrestha met at the minister’s residence and facilitated the exchange of Rs 5.3 million for halting Adhikari’s transfer and Rs 2.5 million for arranging the commission appointment.

The audio evidence of the bribe deal was sent to the Nepal Police Crime Investigation Department’s Digital Forensic Lab, where it was verified as authentic, the CIAA noted.