Lalita Niwas land grab: 12 convicted, Gachchhadar acquitted

Kathmandu, Feb 15: The Special Court on Thursday convicted a dozen of people in the case of Lalita Niwas land embezzlement.     

A joint bench of judges Khusi Prasad Tharu, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Ritendra Thapa not only convicted 12 persons but also declared that the land registered and transferred under 65 individuals would be sequestrated.     

Special Court spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Karki informed that the verdict delivered warranted the land back and recovery of the loss incurred over embezzlement of Lalita Niwas public land.     

As per court order, Ram Kumar Subedi, Shova Kant Dhakal, owner of Bhatbhateni supermarket, Min Bahadur Gurung, then secretaries at land ministry, Chhabi Raj Pant and Dip Basnyat and even the family of Subarna Shumsher have been found guilty. Others in the list of convicts are Kaladhar Deuja, Surendra Man Kapali, Yukta Prasad Shrestha, Jagat Prasad Pudasaini.     

Rs 19.6 million would be collected as recovery combined from then secretaries Chhabiraj Pant and Dip Basnyat and then employees of land revenue office and land reform office for embezzling 19 ropanis of land.     

Meanwhile, the court has given a clean chit to then Minister for Physical Infrastructures, Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, then Ministers for Land Reform, Dambar Bahadur Shrestha and Chandra Dev Joshi in this case.     

Similarly, then Secretary Dinesh Hari Adhikari also got acquitted. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had registered a corruption case at the Special Court on February 5, 2020, citing 113 ropanis of public land of Lalita Niwas was transferred and registered in the names of individuals.     

The CIAA had made defendants to 175 people, including four former ministers and three former secretaries in this case. (RSS)