KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Vice Chair and former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was produced before the Special Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Following his appearance by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, detention hearings are currently underway at the court.
After presenting Paudel before the court, government officials sought permission to keep him in custody.
Investigation officers from the department and government attorneys requested 20 days to continue the investigation while keeping Paudel in detention.
Representing Paudel, defense lawyers argued that the arrest itself was unlawful. They claimed the government action was politically motivated and sought his release either on personal recognizance or under family supervision.
Lawyers including Ramesh Badal, Kedar Koirala, Tika Bahadur Kunwar and Sujata KC argued that no concrete evidence had been found against Paudel.
Senior advocate Badal said approving detention under such circumstances would validate what he described as an arbitrary move driven by political retaliation.
Allegations against Paudel
Deputy Attorney Bhimsen Kafle, appearing for the government, outlined details of the case before the Special Court.
According to Kafle, Paudel was detained during an investigation into the purchase of a 20 percent stake in Shriram Tobacco Pvt. Ltd. by Himalayan Asset Management Pvt. Ltd.
The government submitted documents to the court claiming that Infinity Holdings held a 100 percent investment stake in Himalayan Asset Management.
When filing a money laundering case against businessman Deepak Bhatta, who is currently in custody, the department had also referred to Himalayan Asset Management Pvt. Ltd.
The department had stated that although the company had invested in various sectors, investigations suggested the actual beneficial ownership may lie elsewhere.
The government argues that Paudel’s detention is linked to this broader investigation. However, Paudel’s legal team maintains that such grounds alone do not justify arrest and has requested his release on recognizance.
Separately, a statement given by Chunna Prasad Sharma Paudel, Paudel’s electoral rival in Rupandehi Constituency No. 2 during the March 5 election, has also reportedly been cited as part of the basis for detention.
Both candidates had lost that election to Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Sulav Kharel.
Defense lawyers argued that an arrest should not be based solely on a statement made by a political rival alleging that concealed funds belonged to former minister Paudel. Senior advocate Badal further argued that testimony from political competitors should not be treated as a reliable basis for detention.
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