KATHMANDU, Feb 28: The Patan High Court has issued an interim order restraining the implementation of the immediate eviction notice issued to Bhatbhateni Developers Pvt Ltd, which was run by businessman Min Bahadur Gurung on the government land of Lalita Niwas.

KATHMANDU, Feb 16: The Special Court has convicted former government employees, middlemen and land buyers in the infamous Lalita Niwas land-grab case that saw the involvement of high-profile politicians as well. A joint bench of Judges Khushi Prasad Tharu, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Ritendra Thapa, however, acquitted the politicians.

KATHMANDU, Oct 3: Chairman of CPN-UML and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has accused the coalition government of making significant efforts to close the file related to Lalita Niwas land-grab scam.

Kathmandu, Aug 29: Chief whip of the main opposition party, CPN-UML, Padam Giri has demanded the government take action against those involved in the Lalita Niwas land-grab scam.

KATHMANDU, Aug 28: The District Government Attorney’s Office (DGAO), Kathmandu, has filed a case against 290 people including four former ministers in connection with the Lalita Niwas land-grab scam. It has also claimed compensation of over Rs 18 billion from the defendants.

KATHMANDU, Aug 27: In the ongoing Lalita Niwas case, the Kathmandu District Government Attorney’s Office has taken the decision to pursue legal action solely on the grounds of forgery. The complex web of organized crime charges will not be pursued in this case.

KATHMANDU, Aug 22: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has taken a statement from former Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and former State Minister Sanjay Saha in connection with the embezzlement of government land of belonging to Lalita Niwas in Baluwatar.

KATHMANDU, Aug 17: Two people arrested in connection with the Lalita Niwas Land scam have been released from detention on Wednesday. However, investigation against them will continue, according to police.

KATHMANDU, Aug 9: It has been found that the master plan for expansion of the Prime Minister's residence was prepared in 2065 BS with the motive of compensating and transferring the land of Lalita Niwas located in Baluwatar in the names of individuals.

KATHMANDU, July 21: The Supreme Court (SC) is delivering its verdict on the habeas corpus application filed by the accused in the forgery case of obtaining government signatures and documents to register the government land of Lalita Niwas in the name of individuals.

KATHMANDU, July 13: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police on Wednesday arrested one more person in connection with Lalita Niwas land grab scam.

KATHMANDU, July 11: Two more people have been arrested in connection with the Lalita Niwas land-grab scam.

KATHMANDU, July 3: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has arrested two more people allegedly involved in the Lalita Niwas land-grab scam.

KATHMANDU, July 4: After it became known that the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police could file a case of forgery in the Lalita Niwas land grab scam, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) gave an evasive response when some of the accused appealed to the Supreme Court about a year ago. That’s how the accused got a 'stay order' from the court. The PMO had sent a reply to the Supreme Court on September 2 last year, before the court issued a 'stay order' to 17 accused in the Lalita Niwas case, saying that the police were trying to arrest them in a forgery case.

KATHMANDU, July 3: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has restricted building any physical structure on Lalita Niwas land. While Nepal Police have arrested various people and continued their investigation into the Lalita Niwas land grab scam, the KMC has decided against allowing the construction of any structure on Lalita Niwas land.

KATHMANDU, July 2: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is going to fence the land of Lalita Niwas located in Baluwatar. On Sunday, a team of KMC Police reached Lalita Niwas in Baluwatar for the same purpose.

KATHMANDU, July 2: The Lalita Niwas land grab case has taken a new turn as the police announce their intention to investigate the involvement of organized crime. Nepal's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), which has issued arrest warrants against over 400 individuals, has expressed its determination to uncover any organized crime activity related to the case.

The recent revival of the Lalita Niwas land grab case has stirred controversy and suspicion, as allegations of political bias and personal vendetta surface. While it is important to address corruption and embezzlement, it is equally crucial to ensure that the investigation remains free from political influence and does not turn into a platform for settling scores or targeting opponents.

KATHMANDU, June 28: The District Court, Kathmandu, has allowed the police to detain for seven days the four accused who were earlier arrested for their alleged involvement in illegally transferring 113 ropanis of government land of Lalita Niwas located in Baluwatar.

Former EC Commissioner Shah and Bhatbhateni Supermarket owner Gurung are among those arrested

KATHMANDU, March 2: The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the government to release Shova Kanta Dhakal, one of the masterminds behind the Lalita Niwas land grab scam.

KATHMANDU, Jan 6: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has concluded its investigation on the multi-billion rupees worth Lalita Niwas land grab scam and handed over the report to the Public Prosecutors Office seeking further action against the guilty.

KATHMANDU, Jan 3: The Kathmandu District Court (KDC) has issued arrest warrants against 130 individuals accused of their involvement in the controversial land scam of Lalita Niwas, Baluwatar.

KATHMANDU, July 14: Nepali Congress (NC) Vice President Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, who had been facing a corruption charge on Lalita Niwas land grab scam, has been released on bail.

KATHMANDU, June 6: The government has asked 49 individuals accused of unlawfully owning land plots in Lalita Niwas to submit the necessary documents within the prescribed time frame, in a bid to nationalize the land pieces if those concerned failed to turn up with sufficient evidence.

KATHMANDU, Dec 13: Special Court has sent former chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Dip Basnyat to judicial custody on his alleged involvement in Lalita Niwas land scam.

In what could be called a major operation in more than a decade, Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a charge-sheet against 175 individuals at the Special Court on Wednesday in connection with their involvement in illegally registering Lalita Niwas land in the names of various individuals.

KATHMANDU, Feb 9: A senior leader of the main opposition Nepali Congress Dr Shekhar Koirala has accused the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) of working in collusion with the government in the Lalita Niwas land grab case.

KATHMANDU, Feb 9: Two days after the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a case against 175 individuals for illegally transferring the land of Lalita Niwas in their names, the ownership of land registered in the names of Nabin Paudel and former Supreme Court (SC) Justice Kumar Regmi has been quietly transferred in the name of the government.

KATHMANDU, Feb 6: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Wednesday filed a charge-sheet against 175 individuals, including some erstwhile bigwigs, at the Special Court, accusing them of involvement in illegally registering Lalita Niwas land in the names of various individuals.

KATHMANDU, Feb 1: The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police submitted an investigation report on the Lalita Niwas land scam to the government on Friday, recommending action against bureaucrats and middlemen but exonerating the political leadership, said a highly-placed source.

KATHMANDU, Jan 31: The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police on Friday submitted a probe report to Ministry of Home Affairs over Lalita Niwas land grab case.

KATHMANDU, Jan 17: A day after the outlawed CPN(Maoist) led by Netra Bikram Chand claimed that it had seized land belonging to Lalita Niwas at Baluwatar, the government on Thursday said activities of the Chand-led group such as planting bombs and putting up flags were just publicity stunts.

KATHMANDU (REPUBLICA): An unidentified group on Wednesday evening detonated an improvised explosive device at the house of Shobha Kant Dhakal, an alleged mastermind of the Lalita Niwas land scam, in the Swayambhu area in Kathmandu.

KATHMANDU, July 29: Yukta Prasad Shrestha, one of the accused in the Lalita Niwas land scam, committed suicide on Sunday following his latest grilling by investigators from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for his alleged involvement in the scam.

KATHMANDU, July 20: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority on Friday said that investigations into the notorious Lalita Niwas land scam have reached the final stage.

KATHMANDU, June 27: It has emerged that the land mafia created fake tenants to illegally grab Lalita Niwas land, as the three-generation identities of nearly five dozen individuals involved could not be established.

KATHMANDU, June 26: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has summoned 86 persons including families of those allegedly involved in transferring ownership of government land at Baluwatar to individuals.

KATHMANDU, June 3: Smelling a rat in the proposal sent by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MoLMCPA) to bring the Lalita Niwas land under government ownership, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has returned the proposal back for revision.

KATHMANDU, May 23: A Panchayat-era minister has said that the government had paid compensation to the owners of the Lalita Niwas land 49 years ago.

KATHMANDU, May 23: A Panchayat-era minister has said that the government had paid compensation to the owners of the Lalita Niwas land 49 years ago.

KATHMANDU, May 15: The government plans to ban the sale of land belonging to national and international NGOs, consumer committees and private and community organizations until the bodies that have been probing various land scams complete their investigations.

The week in pictures for the week April 28 – May 4.

KATHMANDU, May 2: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota, has made it clear that the government would not spare anyone involved in the Baluwatar land scam.

KATHMANDU, May 1: Prime Minister KP Oli on Tuesday said NCP General Secretary Bishnu Poudel had no role in registering public land as private property. Oli, who also heads the ruling party, said attempts to drag Poudel into controversy were nothing but a ploy to tarnish the party's image.

KATHMANDU, April 28: Minister for Land Reform and Management Padma Kumari Aryal has defended the ruling Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Bishnu Paudel saying that he had legally purchased the land belonging to Lalita Niwas.

Your daily dose of missed important news of the day.

KATHMANDU, April 27: Minister for Land Reform and Management Padma Aryal said that the government will not seize the land purchased by ruling Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Bishnu Paudel at Lalita Niwas arguing that the land was transferred in the name of Poudel’s son Nabin from the land owner legally.

KATHMANDU, April 22: It has been revealed that the land mafia while selling the Lalita Niwas land had falsely undervalued the land at Rs 800,000 per ropani [5476 sq ft] to evade taxes during registration.

KATHMANDU, April 19: The government has expedited a process to scrap all decisions that paved the way for illegally transferring the ownership of public land to private individuals. The Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) has directed the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation to scrap all controversial decisions taken since 2047 BS, paving the way for transferring ownership of 114 ropani of public land belonging to Lalita Niwas to private individuals.