UML Objects to Arrest of NC Lawmaker Sunil Sharma

The main opposition party,  CPN-UML, has raised objections to the recent arrest of Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Sunil Sharma by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police. Sharma’s arrest has sparked a heated debate in the House of Representatives (HoR) and drawn widespread attention to the ongoing investigation.

Lawmaker Sunil Sharma had been a vocal advocate for establishing a high-level committee to investigate gold smuggling. He had particularly highlighted the need to scrutinize the roles of the home minister and finance minister in this matter. The CPN-UML expressed its concern over his arrest, emphasizing that Sharma’s call for investigation into senior government officials was made in relation to an alleged case of expired statute of limitations.

CPN-UML lawmaker Jwala Kumari Sah vehemently criticized the arrest during a HoR session, garnering enthusiastic support from her party colleagues. She underscored that Sharma’s arrest could be perceived as an attempt to stifle dissenting voices within the political landscape.

Sharma’s arrest is part of CIB’s larger operation targeting individuals suspected of possessing counterfeit academic certificates. As of Friday, the CIB had apprehended seven other individuals in connection with the same case. The bureau’s investigation has revealed that Sharma is being held for allegedly forging his academic certificate.

Additional Inspector General Kiran Bajracharya, head of CIB, officially informed Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire about Sharma’s arrest through a letter. The letter revealed that the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) had alerted the CIB about doctors who had purportedly used falsified academic certificates to register and participate in the council’s licensing exams, many of which were alleged to be from India. Following the NMC’s notification, the CIB sought verification from the National Examination Board (NEB) regarding the certificates, including Sharma’s. The NEB’s response indicated that Sharma’s ISc certificate, dated 1996, with roll code 6504 and roll number 10117, had not been verified.

It’s worth noting that Sharma had faced accusations of possessing a fake academic certificate seven years prior, though he had not been arrested at that time. The CIB had previously investigated the allegations against him.

In a recent HoR session, Sharma had publicly demanded the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, along with Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, in connection with an ongoing gold smuggling case. Finance Minister Mahat, also the NC spokesperson, had characterized Sharma’s actions as an extreme form of anarchy and indiscipline. He alleged that Sharma’s outburst stemmed from his hospital’s failure to secure insurance money.