Nepal Minister Resigns After Bribery Audio Leak Sparks Outrage
Kathmandu — Facing mounting pressure and criticism after a leaked audio exposed alleged involvement in a 7.8 million rupee bribe deal, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajkumar Gupta has resigned. Gupta, a central member of the CPN-UML, submitted his resignation on Tuesday following widespread demands for his dismissal.
The audio recording allegedly captured negotiations between Gupta and intermediaries over halting the transfer of a land revenue official in Kaski and appointing a preferred candidate as head of the Land Commission. Although Gupta had denied the audio was authentic, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli summoned him to Baluwatar on Sunday to discuss the issue. Gupta resigned the next day, saying he hoped his resignation would facilitate a fair investigation.
Posting on Facebook after submitting his resignation, Gupta wrote: “Sometimes you suffer from poison you never consumed,” suggesting he was unfairly targeted.
The controversy arose from an audio recording, reportedly about six months old, in which Gupta and brokers discussed bribes to manipulate appointments. The audio also mentions Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari, with Gupta claiming in the tape that Adhikari had already accepted money and was unwilling to cooperate further.
The leaked conversation further revealed an intermediary urging Gupta to persuade Adhikari to appoint Khem Bahadur Pun as head of the Land Commission in Kaski, suggesting that 2 million rupees would be handed over the next morning. Gupta responds in the recording, “Balram has already taken money from him, he won’t do it.”
The recording also included a reference to a figure called “Ba,” raising questions about who this person might be and what role they played in the negotiations.
Meanwhile, Adhikari defended himself in Parliament on Monday, denying any wrongdoing and challenging accusers to present evidence. “If there is any truth to these allegations by me or anyone in my ministry bring forward the facts and I will face legal consequences,” he said.
Two other individuals named in the audio — local businessman Sujan Lama and UML leader Khem Bahadur Pun issued statements on Monday denying their involvement. Lama, reportedly based in Pokhara and active in land dealings, allegedly sought appointments to facilitate a land sale, while Pun, an UML provincial committee member and former ward chair candidate, was allegedly the nominee for the post.
The leaked audio also raises questions about whether Prime Minister Oli, who has publicly vowed zero tolerance on corruption, will take further action against Adhikari, who has so far resisted calls to resign.
The case is already under review by Nepal’s Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, which reportedly has filed complaints including evidence of cash, serial numbers, and photographs of the alleged bribes.
As Gupta steps down, the focus now shifts to whether those implicated including Adhikari will face accountability or impunity, and whether the government will address growing public anger over corruption at the highest levels.
