Special Court to Hear Corruption Case Against Former Minister Raj Kumar Gupta

Kathmandu. A hearing is underway at the Special Court regarding the corruption case involving seven individuals, including former Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Raj Kumar Gupta, in connection with the Pokhara Litchi Orchard case. The case is being heard by a bench comprising Special Court Chairman Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and members Narayan Prasad Koirala and Umesh Koirala.

On 22 Ashoj 2082, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a corruption case in the Special Court, alleging that former Minister Gupta accepted a bribe of 5.3 million rupees from real estate developers by promising to stop the transfer of the Land Revenue Office chief in Kaski and to appoint them as members of the Land Commission. The CIAA has accused Minister Gupta and former Minister Ranjita Shrestha of colluding to misuse their positions to accept a 2.5 million rupee bribe in exchange for official favors.

According to the commission, the facts were confirmed through audio evidence of a total of 7.8 million rupees in bribes, bank transaction records, and digital forensic reports. The digital forensic lab concluded that the audio and video materials matched the defendants and had not been tampered with.

The CIAA filed the corruption case against seven individuals, including Minister Gupta, on 22 Ashoj. Former Minister and then-chair of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, Ranjita Shrestha, was also implicated in this case.

The CIAA launched an investigation after an audio recording between the two surfaced. In the audio conversation with Minister Gupta, a middleman was heard saying, 'The Pokhara land is waiting for you; keep 25 (lakh) for now, and we will celebrate once the work is done.'

The CIAA filed the case against two former ministers, the then-chief of the Land Revenue Office in Kaski, Pokhara, Ram Chandra Adhikari, real estate developers, and middlemen identified as Sujan Lama (also known as Sujan Kumar Lama or Sujan Kumar Tamang), Khem Pun (Kham Bahadur Pun), Yam Kumari Gurung, and Tulsi Ram Budhamagar.

In this case, the CIAA has sought a recovery of 7.8 million rupees. The corruption case is linked to land plots numbered 25, 26, and 28, reportedly located at Deep Birta (Litchi Orchard) in Pokhara Metropolitan City-16.