Home Minister instructs CBI officials to investigate without any fear

KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, has directed the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the Lalita Niwas land grab case.

Minister Shrestha met CIB officials on Monday morning and asked them to investigate without any fear.

Minister Shrestha met the CIB officials a day after the Supreme Court ordered investigative agencies to probe all those involved in the decision-making process from the top of the pyramid.

A senior official from the Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed that the investigation process has been expedited.

“Kindly proceed with the investigation without any fear regardless of the individuals implicated. Ensure that all investigation methods and protocols are followed rigorously, leading to a conclusive outcome,” Shrestha told police officials.

Along with CIB officials, Nepal Police Inspector General Basanta Bahadur Kunwar was also present in the meeting.

More than 250 individuals, including two former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Dr Baburam Bhattarai, six former ministers, two chief secretaries, 14 secretaries, and at least 18 joint secretaries, are linked to the land grab case.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchadar, former ministers Prabhu Narayan Chaudhary, Dumbar Bahadur Shrestha, Chandra Dev Joshi, Dina Nath Sharma  and former minister of state Sanjay Kumar Sah have also been implicated in the case.