Home Minister Gurung Holds High-Level Security Meeting at Singha Durbar

Kathmandu. On Tuesday, Home Minister Sudhan Gurung held a nearly five-hour discussion at Singha Durbar with Home Secretary Rajkumar Shrestha, IGP Dan Bahadur Karki, and other senior security officials. The meeting, which began at 6:00 PM, saw Secretary Shrestha depart at 9:00 PM, while IGP Karki and other senior officials remained until nearly 11:00 PM.

Kathmandu CDO Ishwar Raj Poudel and Armed Police Force IGP Raju Aryal also participated in the discussion. Home Minister Gurung initially addressed the issue of Sobha Pathak, who has been on a hunger strike at Maitighar. Pathak has been protesting since Baishakh 3, demanding the arrest of her alleged rapist and the filing of a court case. Minister Gurung had visited her at the site on Baishakh 5 to offer his support.

A senior security official present at the meeting stated, 'Given the sensitivity of Sobha Pathak's hunger strike, we discussed how to proceed.' Pathak has since been admitted to Bir Hospital due to health complications.

The Minister also expressed interest in the ongoing money laundering cases against businessmen Deepak Bhatt and Sulav Agrawal, specifically regarding how to bring connected individuals under the scope of the investigation. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation is currently handling the probe into Bhatt and Agrawal. Officials noted that the meeting also covered budget requirements for the Ministry of Home Affairs and security agencies. One official remarked, 'The extensive discussion was focused on good governance and service delivery.'

Minister Gurung also discussed strategies for improving traffic management and reducing accidents across the Kathmandu Valley and the rest of the country.