Supreme Court to hear corruption case involving Bhrikutimandap land lease

Kathmandu. A corruption case related to the irregular leasing of land at Bhrikutimandap, owned by the Social Welfare Council, has been scheduled for a hearing at the Supreme Court.

The case was listed for hearing on Tuesday before a joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Sharanaga Subedi and Balkrishna Dhakal.

A bench of the Special Court, comprising then-Chairman Shrikant Poudel and Justices Shaligram Koirala and Balbhadra Bastola, had found former minister Nyaupane and nine others guilty in the Bhrikutimandap Funpark corruption case. Former minister Badri Nyaupane and nine others had appealed to the Supreme Court against the Special Court's decision.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a case against then-minister and Social Welfare Council Chairman Badri Prasad Nyaupane, Vice-Chairman Pramod Mehta, Treasurer Kunjabihari Prasad Chaudhary, members Mohanraj Sharma, Madan Kumar Lal Karna, Hari Nyaupane, and Member Secretary Rabindra Kumar Yadav, as well as the chief operator of the Bhrikutimandap Funpark fair, Rabindra Gurung, and operator Tek Bahadur Gurung.

The CIAA had sought an amount of Rs 315.2 million from each of them as compensation. The CIAA had also sought additional penalties against Nyaupane, Mehta, Chaudhary, and Rabindra Kumar. Nyaupane is a leader of the then ChureBhavar National Party. He served as the Minister of Women, Children, and Social Welfare in the government led by Baburam Bhattarai. Operator Gurung, the fair's operator, is also a former labor minister. He served as a minister during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. However, he was implicated in the case due to his role as the fair operator, not in his capacity as a minister. Gurung is a leader of the Nepali Congress.

The accused also include then-Treasurer of the Fund Ratna Gahamaghar, Director Madan Prasad Rimal, Deputy Director Bal Bahadur Swar, and then-Legal Advisor Prem Singh Dhami and Jagadev Chaudhary. They were accused of irregularities by violating prevailing standards and procedures while leasing out 60 ropanis of land at Bhrikutimandap.

On Bhadra 20, 2069 BS, the Social Welfare Council decided to award the contract for operating the Bhrikutimandap land as a funpark fair to Tek Bahadur Gurung for 15 years.

The decision to award the contract for Rs 555,000 per month was alleged by the CIAA to have disregarded the prevailing market price and was termed as a conspiracy of mutual understanding. Corruption cases were filed against 14 individuals on charges related to the decision made on that date.