Pokhara, 6 June: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a major corruption case against 93 individuals, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and former Land Reform Minister Dambar Shrestha, at the Special Court on Thursday. Among the accused is Vasudev Thapa, the mayor of Suryabinayak Municipality in Bhaktapur, who has been implicated in connection with illegal land transactions tied to Patanjali Yogpeeth.
The extensive 632-page chargesheet accuses the defendants of colluding to purchase and transfer land beyond the legally permitted ownership ceiling in ten districts of Nepal. The land was allegedly acquired through undue influence on government officials and ministers and then sold off through ministry-level applications. The scandal involves associates of the controversial Indian enterprise Patanjali, including Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, with land transactions reportedly violating land ownership laws.
Mayor Thapa is among a group named as defendants solely for the purpose of land seizure. The CIAA has clarified that he will not be suspended from his mayoral post, as the case does not accuse him of direct involvement in corruption but rather of possessing land unlawfully transacted. Thapa reportedly purchased land in Sanga, Kavrepalanchok, amounting to over 554 ropanis, which the CIAA claims should belong to the state.
Thapa admitted to buying the land from Dilli Dhwaj Barailee for NPR 13.06 million but claimed ignorance regarding its association with Patanjali Yogpeeth. He said he believed the seller to be a third party and had no knowledge that the land was part of the controversial holdings under investigation.
The CIAA’s demand includes the confiscation of the land, alleging that it was purchased and sold illegally under the names of multiple individuals and entities including Patanjali Yogpeeth, Ayurved Company Nepal, and several private persons. Though named in the lawsuit, Thapa and many others have been identified solely for the purpose of asset seizure and not for personal corruption charges.
Thapa was elected mayor of Suryabinayak Municipality in the 2079 local elections, defeating candidates from a coalition of the Nepali Congress and CPN (Unified Socialist).
