Special Court Orders Submission of Debate Notes in Madhesh Province Corruption Case

Kathmandu. The Special Court has ordered the submission of debate notes in the corruption case involving suspended Madhesh Province lawmaker Saroj Kumar Singh and others.

On Monday, a bench comprising Special Court Chairman Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and members Narayan Prasad Paudel and Umesh Koirala issued the order for the 16 individuals involved in the corruption case. The court will proceed to final hearings and deliver a verdict once the debate notes are received.

Singh, a former Minister of State for Madhesh Province, faces charges involving a misappropriated amount of 3,850,319 rupees. He is accused of embezzling funds by having money deposited into consumer committee accounts withdrawn through his personal secretary, Binod Kumar Lal Kayastha, and subsequently transferring it into a joint account held by himself and his wife.

The corruption case was filed against 16 individuals, including Singh, Ramesh Madar, Amalesh Kumari, Diparaj Devi Rajput, Bhikhari Raut Kurmi, Bhupendra Kumar Jha, Manju Devi Pasman, Ramnath Sahani, Swikriti Devi, Ramsharan Khatwe, Vibha Devi Khatwe, Shambhu Kumar Mandal, Yoginder Mahato, Sunayana Kumari, Yamuna Prasad Mahato, and Kaushilya Devi.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed the case seeking recovery of 185,260 rupees from Yamuna Prasad Mahato and Kaushilya Devi, and 657,700 rupees from Yoginder Mahato and Sunayana Kumari.

Additionally, the CIAA sought recovery of 214,350 rupees from Ramnath Sahani and Swikriti Devi, 150,000 rupees from Ramsharan Khatwe and Vibha Devi Khatwe, 1,891,900 rupees from Bhupendra Kumar Jha, and 2,193,815 rupees from Manju Devi Pasman.

Investigations revealed that Singh accepted commissions from various consumer committees formed for development projects in Mahottari District, Constituency No. 4 (B), under the Provincial Parliamentary Development Fund for the fiscal year 2078/079.