Kathmandu: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has today filed a charge sheet at the Special Court against 93 individuals, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, regarding the land scam of Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal. With the filing of the charge sheet against former Prime Minister Nepal, who is also the chairperson of the CPN (Unified Socialist), his position as a Member of Parliament has automatically suspended.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059, stipulates that individuals facing criminal and corruption-related charges are automatically suspended from public office. Nepal, who represents the Rautahat district House of Representatives electoral constituency no 1, is thus affected by this provision.
CIAA has filed a case against the 93 individuals for purchasing at a lower price more land than permitted for company operations at Mahendra Jyoti in Nasikastan, Sanga, Kavrepalanchok, and selling it at a higher price. The anti-graft body has determined that the founding member of the said company, Shaligram Singh, acted in bad faith against the company’s purpose, using its name to benefit himself and other defendants in collusion with public officials, violating Section 10 of the Land Act, 2021.
CIAA has stated that the concerned individuals from the relevant bodies and public servants abused their official positions, making illegal decisions with malice regarding government public property under their responsibility. The commission claims that the land beyond the permitted ceiling should be confiscated and remain publicly owned according to Clause 11 of the same Act. The Commission’s spokesperson, Rajendra Kumar Paudel, informed RSS that the letter regarding the registration of the case has reached the Federal Parliament Secretariat.