Lalita Niwas Case: Case filed against 290 people on charge of Forgery

KATHMANDU, Aug 27: An indictment has been filed against those involved in the misappropriation of the land inside the Lalita Niwas Camp in Baluwatar. The indictment was filed in the District Court Kathmandu making 290 people as defendants, the Chief of the District Government Attorney’s Office Kathmandu Achyutmani Neupane informed Ratopati.

The District Government Attorney’s Office made the 18 defendants in custody appear in court along with the indictment. All except the 18 defendants are on the absconding list.

The Central Investigation Bureau of the Police had opined to the Government Attorney to conduct a 57-day investigation into the crime of organized forgery and file the case on the same offense. However, the Government Attorney has demanded that 'organized crime' is not attracted in the Lalita Niwas, and the punishment and fine should be imposed only on 'forgery’.

CIB has concluded that 72969.16 sq. meters of the Lalita Niwas camp’s land have been misappropriated. CIB had also concluded that former Ministers are involved in the scam and upon its suggestion, four former Ministers including former Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar have been made defendants.

The Government Attorney has also made the Secretary of the Communication Ministry Krishna Bahadur Raut and the Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry Sushil Baidhya defendants.