KATHMANDU, May 21: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Wednesday detained Tirtharaj Bhattarai, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, following a raid at the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday.
According to a CIAA source, Bhattarai is under investigation for suspected collusion with a human trafficking network. The raid was carried out after preliminary evidence suggested his involvement.
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During the operation, CIAA officials seized Bhattarai’s mobile phone and confiscated several key documents from the office. The seized phone is believed to contain critical information, which will be analyzed further as part of the ongoing investigation, the source added.
The raid reportedly stemmed from intelligence indicating the illegal collection of money through the manipulation of visit visas. A source at the Ministry of Home Affairs said Bhattarai was recalled from the airport just a day before the raid, after the ministry received reports of his suspected involvement.
Bhattarai had previously faced corruption allegations during his tenure as a Local Development Officer (LDO) in a District Development Committee.
