Special Court sets Rs 500,000 bail for Ranjita Shrestha in bribery case
A bench comprising judges Sudarsandev Bhatta, Hemanta Rawal, and Dilliratan Shrestha issued the order on Sunday, directing that Shrestha be released after furnishing the bail amount.
KATHMANDU: The Special Court has ordered former minister and then chairperson of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, Ranjita Shrestha, to be released on bail of Rs 500,000 in connection with the Pokhara Litchi Orchard land bribery case.
A bench comprising judges Sudarsandev Bhatta, Hemanta Rawal, and Dilliratan Shrestha issued the order on Sunday, directing that Shrestha be released after furnishing the bail amount.
According to Krishna Sharan Lamichhane, spokesperson and deputy registrar of the Special Court, Shrestha has already deposited the required bail and has been released on a court date.
“Bail of Rs 500,000 was set, and she has been released after furnishing the amount,” Lamichhane said.
Earlier, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a case at the Special Court on Oct 8 against former minister Raj Kumar Gupta, Ranjita Shrestha, and five others over an audio recording allegedly related to bribery dealings.
The commission has claimed Rs 7.8 million in damages against two of the accused, while varying amounts have been demanded from the remaining defendants based on individual involvement.
The case concerns alleged corruption related to land plots numbered 25, 26, and 28 within the Deep Birta (Litchi Orchard) area of Ward No. 16 of Pokhara.
The investigation was initiated after an audio recording involving former minister Gupta was made public.
Previously, on Dec 31, the Special Court ordered former minister Raj Kumar Gupta to be remanded in custody for trial.
