CIAA Files Landmark Corruption Case Against Former PM Nepal

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a lawsuit in the special court against 93 persons, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, over the Patanjali land swap deal. This is the first-ever corruption case filed against a former prime minister.

They have been accused of corruption for authorizing the acquisition and sale of land in excess of the limit, as well as embezzlement and damage to public property.

Patanjali Yogpeeth had purchased land at a concession for herbal cultivation and construction of an Ayurveda hospital. The Authority launched an inquiry when it was discovered that the land, purchased at a concession by the previous administration, was later sold, stepping on the decision of the Council of Ministers. The Land Act, 2021, allows the government to offer land at a concession to any productive sector or corporation. However, land acquired through such a facility cannot be resold. The matter arose after the government authorized the sale of property gained through a concession.

Following the filing of the corruption case, Nepal's post as a Member of Parliament has been automatically suspended.