Former PM Nepal and 92 others charged in Patanjali land scam

Kathmandu, June 5 — The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case in a special court in Kathmandu against 93 people, including former Prime Minister and current Member of Parliament Madhav Kumar Nepal. They are accused of misusing public property and engaging in corrupt land deals.


The case focuses on the purchase of land by Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal in Kavrepalanchok district. The CIAA says the company bought more land than the legal limit allowed by the Land Act and was involved in buying land cheaply and then selling it for much higher prices. Out of the total land they acquired, 314 ropanis (a local land measurement) were sold to Manu Ghimire and others for private use, apparently following a Cabinet decision.


Back in 2010, the Cabinet had allowed Patanjali to buy up to 815 ropanis of land in Kavre. After that, the company bought over 594 ropanis and quickly sold more than 353 ropanis within just three months.


The CIAA investigation also found that Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, now a non-profit, bought land beyond legal limits in several places across Nepal, which is against multiple sections of the Land Act. The extra land they bought is subject to confiscation and should be returned to the government.


Further, the CIAA uncovered evidence that Patanjali’s key founder, Shaligram Singh, worked together with officials from various government departments, including land offices, banks, and ministries. The accused include high-ranking officials, ministers, secretaries, and even the former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.


Among those charged are former Law Minister Prem Bahadur Singh, late Land Reform Minister Dambar Shrestha and his son, former Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire and his wife, and many other senior officials from land management offices.


They are all accused of abusing their official positions to approve illegal land deals that benefited themselves, causing loss to the government. The charges describe a system of corruption that involved people from local land offices all the way up to the Cabinet.


The CIAA is demanding the recovery of about Rs 185.85 million from those involved, along with prison time and fines according to anti-corruption laws. The accused are also facing penalties to confiscate illegal profits and recover money even from the relatives of those who have died.


Because of these charges, former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has automatically lost his parliamentary seat until the case is decided, as per the law.


This is a major corruption case that exposes political involvement in land scams and highlights ongoing misuse of public resources.


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