KATHMANDU: The Special Court has ordered former Santosh Chalise, a former member of Nepali Congress, to provide Rs 500,000 as bail in a corruption case.
The bench, led by Special Court Chair Narayan Prasad Paudel and member Bidur Koirala, issued the bail order on Monday. Chalise is accused of corruption during his tenure as Mayor of Gokarneshwar Municipality.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed the case against him on December 14, 2025, claiming that he acquired Rs 36.8 million in illegal assets. During the investigation, Chalise reportedly gave denial statements before the CIAA officials and the Special Court bench.
Chalise, who previously served as Chair of the Finance Committee in the Federal Parliament, had declared total assets worth Rs 85.6 million upon assuming public office, of which only Rs 48.8 million was deemed legal. The CIAA claims the remaining Rs 36.8 million was illegally acquired and has maintained its complaint in the Special Court.
The court has also listed Chalise’s wife Mandira, sons Sagar and Sanjiv, and daughter-in-law Pramila Pokharel as co-defendants for asset confiscation purposes. Chalise was elected Mayor of Gokarneshwar Municipality in the 2017 election and later won as a member of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-3 in the 2022 election.
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