KATHMANDU: The Special Court has ordered the release of former Land Reform Secretary Khum Raj Pant on bail of Rs 500,000 in connection with a corruption case related to land dealings involving Patanjali Yogpeeth.
A joint bench of Justices Tej Narayan Singh Rai and Murari Babu Shrestha issued the order, allowing Pant to be freed after posting bail.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a corruption case against Pant, accusing him of abusing his authority by recommending a land ceiling waiver and land swap deal in favor of Patanjali. The CIAA has demanded a recovery of Rs 185.85 million, claiming that his actions caused financial damage to the state.
During court proceedings, Pant defended himself by stating that he had submitted the proposal to the Cabinet under pressure from then-Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and then-Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire.
Just a day earlier, the Special Court had ruled that former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal could not be made a legal representative in the case, citing a legal provision that prohibits granting legal representation rights to individuals facing charges carrying a potential sentence of more than three years.
Comment