Kathmandu: The Nepali Congress (NC) has firmly denied any involvement of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in the recent visit visa scandal. During a meeting at Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s private residence in Budhanilkantha, both former and current office bearers of the party concluded that Minister Lekhak, a representative of the party in the NC-UML coalition government, had no role in the scandal.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the meeting included a presentation by Minister Lekhak, who provided a detailed statement addressing his alleged involvement in the scam. NC Spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat stated that, after reviewing the Minister’s clarification, the party leadership found no evidence linking him to the scandal.
The meeting further called for an impartial investigation into the matter, emphasizing the need for those responsible to be held accountable. This call for justice aligns with ongoing efforts to address allegations of misconduct in the immigration process.
The scandal came to light when Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, the Chief of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) Immigration Office, was interrogated by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on May 21. Bhattarai was suspected of facilitating the illegal foreign travel of Nepali nationals on visit visas and was reportedly in regular contact with officials in the Ministry, which initially raised suspicions regarding Minister Lekhak’s involvement.