Special Court Orders Witness Testimony in Pokhara Land Corruption Case Involving Former Ministers

Kathmandu. The Special Court has issued an order to record witness testimonies in the corruption case involving seven individuals, including former Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Raj Kumar Gupta, regarding the Pokhara Litchi Orchard case.

A bench comprising Special Court Chairman Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and members Narayan Prasad Koirala and Umesh Koirala issued the order. On 2082 Ashoj 22, 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 in exchange for stopping the transfer of the Chief Officer of the Land Revenue Office in Kaski and appointing members to the Land Commission.

The CIAA alleged that Minister Gupta and former Minister Ranjita Shrestha colluded to misuse their positions, accepting an additional 2.5 million rupees in bribes to facilitate official favors.

According to the commission, the facts were confirmed through audio evidence of the 7.8 million rupee bribe transaction, bank 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 2082 Ashoj 22. Former Minister and then-chair of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, Ranjita Shrestha, was also implicated in this case.

The investigation began after an audio recording between the two surfaced. In the audio, a middleman is heard telling Minister Gupta, "The Pokhara land is waiting for you; keep 2.5 million for now, and we will have fish at Majhikuna once the work is done."

The CIAA filed the case against the two former ministers, former Kaski Land Revenue Office Chief Ramchandra Adhikari, real estate developer and middleman Sujan Kumar Tamang (also known as Sujan Lama), Khem Bahadur Pun, Yamkumari Gurung, and Tulsi Ram Budhamagar.

The CIAA filed the case seeking recovery of 7.8 million rupees. The corruption case is linked to land plots 25, 26, and 28 located in Deep Birta (Litchi Orchard) in Pokhara Metropolitan City-16.