Special Court Verdict on Lalita Niwas Land Scam: Three Ministers Acquitted, Officials Convicted

On Thursday, the Special Court delivered its verdict on the infamous Lalita Niwas land grab scandal, sending shockwaves through the political and bureaucratic circles of Nepal. Amidst a plethora of convictions and acquittals, the judiciary’s decision marks a significant chapter in the fight against corruption within the nation.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, along with former ministers Chandra Deo Joshi and Dambar Shrestha, received a clean chit from the court. However, former chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Deep Basnyat, and former government secretary Chhabi Raj Pant were found guilty. They have been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine amounting to Rs8.047 million.

The case, which involved the forgery of government documents, ensnared 310 individuals, including former ministers and high-ranking bureaucrats. Among those convicted are middlemen Shobhakant Dhakal and Ram Kumar Subedi, as well as Bhatbhateni Supermarket owner Min Bahadur Gurung, who facilitated the controversial land transaction.

Former government secretary Dineshhari Adhikari, however, was declared innocent by the court.

Moreover, the Special Court’s ruling declared Lalita Niwas, spanning approximately 300 ropanis, as government property. This area encompasses significant establishments such as the prime minister’s residence, the Nepal Rastra Bank central office, and residences of key government officials.

The legal proceedings, which began in earnest with corruption charges filed against 175 individuals by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority in February 2020, have witnessed several twists and turns. Notably, former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Baburam Bhattarai were spared from implication, despite their tenures coinciding with decisions related to the illicit transfer of government land into private ownership. The constitutional anti-graft body cited the Cabinet’s jurisdiction over policy decisions as the reason for their exclusion from the investigation.

However, following a directive from the Supreme Court on August 6, 2023, both former prime ministers were compelled to provide statements as part of the ongoing probe, shedding further light on the intricate web of corruption surrounding the Lalita Niwas land scam.