KATHMANDU, Aug 21: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has submitted the investigation report of the Lalita Niwas land grab case in Baluwatar to the Office of the District Government Attorney (ODGA) on Monday.
CIB SSP Dinesh Acharya said that the investigation report has been handed over to the ODGA, making three former land reform ministers as defendants. The CIB has submitted the report listing former ministers Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, Dumbar Shrestha and Chandra Deo Joshi as fugitives. Earlier, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had also initiated a case against these ministers. However, at that time, all of them were released after posting bail.
Meanwhile, Joshi said on August 11 that he was not on the run and that he was ready to help the government agencies at any time. He also appeared at the CIB office in Maharajgunj for a statement on Monday. However, the CIB allegedly returned him without taking a statement stating that the file has already been sent to the ODGA. The CIB report has put him on the fugitive list although he visited the special bureau of police to record his statement, albeit lately.
Earlier, the CIB had obtained an arrest warrant against the three ministers from the Kathmandu District Court on August 6. But even after the arrest warrant was issued, Nepali Congress leader Gachhadar was seen at a public event but was not arrested by the CIB.
Big businesses involved in Lalita Niwas land scam
Meanwhile, the CIB team took the statement of former state minister Sanjay Shah, who is currently in jail. The CIB team also reached the residence of former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday evening and handed over the papers. Similarly, the then Chief Secretary Leelamani Paudel was called to the office by the CIB and released after signing the papers.
Altogether 18 people including the proprietor of Bhatbhateni Supermarket Meen Bahadur Gurung and former secretary Sudhir Shah are in custody in this case. Five of those arrested have been released upon court orders. All those in custody will now be produced before the court.
Amid CBI stating in its report that he is on the run, former Land Reforms Minister Chandra Dev Joshi shared a photo on his Facebook page indicating his presence at the CIB office in Maharajganj.
Posting a picture of him standing on the CIB premises, former minister Chandra Dev said, 'I am not on the run'
In the photo, Joshi is seen holding a file, accompanied by a caption that reads, 'Received a summon from the CIB chief for my statement, but subsequent news conveyed a change of plans.' Joshi's post also states that he arrived at 1:30 AM in response to the CIB's call.
The legal saga surrounding Joshi stems from a corruption case filed by the CIAA in relation to the Lalita Niwas land case. Joshi initially presented himself before the special court after the CIAA registered the case. Following his appearance, he was subsequently released on regular bail. Notably, Joshi received pro bono legal representation from five advocates, including Bhimarjun Acharya and Lalit Basnet.
The CIAA filed a special case against 175 individuals linked to the matter. While the special court has granted bail to most of the defendants, Joshi is the first individual to secure ordinary bail in the Lalita Niwas land case.
