Pashupati Crematorium Machine Purchase Corruption Case Listed for 13th Time

Kathmandu. The Pashupati crematorium machine purchase corruption case has been listed for hearing for the 13th time. The corruption case against 14 people including former member secretary of the Pashupati Area Development Trust, Dr. Milan Kumar Thapa, has been scheduled for hearing in the bench of Special Court Chairman Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and members Dilliratna Shrestha and Bidur Koirala. This is the 13th time the case has been scheduled for hearing since it was registered in the Special Court. The case has been ordered to summon an expert once, and orders for other matters and submission of debate notes have been issued twice each. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed a corruption case against 14 people including member secretary Thapa on June 8, 2082, in connection with the Pashupati crematorium machine purchase. In the case, member secretary Dr. Thapa, former acting member secretary Rajukumar Khatri, former executive director Ghanshyam Khatiwada, current deputy director Revatiraman Adhikari, former acting deputy director Sitaram Risal, engineers Pashupati Thakur, Denis Upreti, Ramesh Puri, among others, have been named as defendants. The defendants are accused of preparing an unusually high cost estimate by showing a crematorium machine worth Indian Rupees 3.25 million as costing Nepali Rupees 15.2 million, and adding the discounts allowed by the prevailing law to the cost estimate. The charge sheet mentions that the necessary technical documents, competitive bidding, and on-site inspection were not carried out for the purchase. The charge sheet also states that an advance payment of 18.2 million was made without completing the work mentioned in the contract agreement. Similarly, Pashupati Area Development Trust's accounting officer Chandra Prasad Khanal, Pulchowk Campus Electrical Department Head Associate Professor Yuvaraj Adhikari, Pashupati Area Development Trust's legal advisor and evaluation committee member Lain Bahadur Thapa, suppliers company Map Entrepreneurs' directors Manoj Puri and Yadunandan Bhattarai, and Apple Engineering's managing director Suraj Chapagain have also been named as defendants in the case. A claim of 18.2 million in damages has been sought from each of the defendants.