Lalita Niwas Land Case: Special Court convicts 12, including Dhakal & Subedi
The verdict was announced by the bench comprising Special Court Chair Tek Narayan Kunwar, along with judges Khushi Prasad Tharu, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Ritendra Thapa.
KATHMANDU: The Special Court has convicted 12 individuals, including Shobhakant Dhakal and Ramkumar Subedi, in the Lalita Niwas land misappropriation case.
The verdict was announced by the bench comprising Special Court Chair Tek Narayan Kunwar, along with judges Khushi Prasad Tharu, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Ritendra Thapa.
The decision came after continuous hearings spanning from Jan 16-Feb 13, involving 175 defendants, including prominent figures like former Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchdhar, Bhatbhateni Supermarket owner Min Bahadur Gurung, and former ministers Chandra Dev Joshi and Dambar Shrestha.
Among those accused, 110 individuals have already received sentencing, while 65 individuals are currently facing charges solely related to land confiscation.
The case originated from a complaint filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on February 5, 2020, alleging corruption involving the misappropriation of over 136 ropani of government land at Lalita Niwas in Baluwatar.
The primary figures named in the charge sheet, including Ram Kumar Subedi, Sobhakanta Dhakal, and Min Bahadur Gurung, are believed to be the masterminds and intermediaries involved in the corruption scheme.
Although former Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai provided statements regarding the case, the CIAA opted not to pursue prosecution, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
A pending writ challenging this decision awaits resolution in the Supreme Court.
Additionally, revelations regarding the transfer of government land into the names of Supreme Court Judge Kumar Regmi and UML Vice Chairman Bishnu Paudel’s son have further complicated the case.
