Palhinandan Rural Municipality Chairman Baiju Prasad Gupta Accused of Amassing Over 35 Million Rupees Illegally

Kathmandu. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case in the Special Court against Baiju Prasad Gupta, Chairman of Palhinandan Rural Municipality in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta Paschim), accusing him of accumulating over 35 million rupees in illegal wealth. 

Based on a complaint that he accumulated wealth illegally, contrary to his official dignity, the CIAA investigated and found that Gupta had engaged in corruption amounting to millions of rupees. On Monday, the CIAA filed a charge sheet against him and four other family members.

According to the CIAA, the investigation period was set from June 20, 2017 (Bikram Sambat 2074 Ashad 20) to June 28, 2022 (Bikram Sambat 2079 Ashad 28), a five-year period since Gupta was elected as the rural municipality chairman. During this period, Gupta and his immediate family were found to have earned a total of 35,152,620 rupees from various legal sources. This includes bank balance before entering public service, salary, brother's salary and allowances, company income, bank loans, and agricultural income.

However, the CIAA's investigation revealed that during the same period, Gupta and his family spent and invested 69,781,788 rupees. This expenditure was found to be on land purchases, repayment of bank loan principal and interest, education, house construction and purchase, share purchases, insurance premium payments, company investments, and vehicle purchases.

The CIAA stated that Gupta's total expenditure and investment exceeded his total legal income by 34,599,167 rupees. The CIAA's statement read, 'As the total expenditure exceeded the total legal income and the source was not confirmed, it has been found that he has accumulated illegal wealth equivalent to that amount, which is inconsistent and unusual with the property details he submitted.'

Since the illegal wealth earned through abuse of authority while in public office was also found to be kept in the names of his immediate family members, the CIAA has also made Gupta's family members defendants. The CIAA stated that along with Rural Municipality Chairman Gupta, cases have been filed in the Special Court seeking punishment under the Prevention of Corruption Act against his father Banshraj Gupta, mother Dhanmati Teli, and wives Sulochana Gupta and Sharda Acharya Gupta.