KATHMANDU: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has arrested former joint secretary Lekh Bahadur Karki for his alleged involvement in illegally leasing land registered under the Nepal Trust in Durbar Marg.
According to CIB spokesperson SSP Shiv Kumar Shrestha, Karki, a resident of Bharatpur Metropolitan City–15 (formerly Sripur–2) in Chitwan, was arrested on Friday. He is being investigated on charges of fraud and criminal breach of trust.
The CIB stated that irregularities were found in the lease agreement signed between Nepal Trust and Thamserku Trekking Pvt. Ltd. The bureau revealed that, in addition to the officially mentioned plot number 4606 at Durbar Marg under Kathmandu Metropolitan City, another plot, number 4605, was added to the lease without authorization.
The lease agreement, signed on May 28, 2917, granted a 30-year lease period, including a three-year construction term. Police allege that the land was leased without a decision from the Trust’s governing committee or any legal basis, causing long-term financial loss to the Nepal Trust and, consequently, to the nation.
The CIB further said that several government officials, employees, and other individuals in various positions at the time were found to have received unlawful benefits from the deal. Investigation is ongoing against other suspects involved in the case.
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