Secretary to Minister dies after alleged poisoning in Kathmandu

Makwanpur, February 25 — The personal secretary of Bagmati Province's Minister for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Madhu Kumar Shrestha, Rabi Thapa, has passed away.

He died on Monday at a hospital in Kalanki, Kathmandu, during treatment.

Thapa, aged 36, reportedly ingested poison in his friend's room in Kalanki.

He was found unconscious and was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead at 6:38 PM, according to the Kathmandu Police.

Thapa's family was informed when he was found unconscious.

His brother arrived at the scene, and Thapa was taken to Shahid Memorial Hospital in Kalanki, but he succumbed to his injuries.

The police also discovered a note from Thapa's belongings, which mentioned that he was involved in a scandalous transaction concerning cooperative funds, which had led to his embarrassment.

Thapa had been in Kathmandu with Minister Shrestha last Friday and stayed there on Sunday for his daughter's birthday instead of returning to Hetauda.

After the celebration, Thapa had left his room around 10 PM, and thereafter, he lost contact with his family.

The recent controversy regarding Sumeru Cooperative, in which Thapa's name has surfaced, is linked to an audio clip that was made public last Sunday.

The audio, in which Binod Acharya, a former secretary of Sumeru Cooperative, discussed solving issues related to the cooperative, led to Thapa’s name being mentioned.

The police took action after interrogating a person connected to the audio clip.

Following the audio investigation, the police released the individual after preliminary questioning, and the case remains under investigation.

According to police, Thapa's involvement with the cooperative may have contributed to the tragic incident.

The ministry had declared Sumeru Cooperative as a problem-prone cooperative in the past, and it had taken legal action against the decision in the Supreme Court.

The court has called for both sides to discuss the issue.

Thapa's body is currently kept at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and investigations into the incident are ongoing by the Kalimati Police Circle.