Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Special Court has convicted former civil servants, land owners, fake tenants, and middlemen in the Lalita Niwas land scam.
A division bench of Special Court Judges Khushi Prasad Tharu, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Ritendra Thapa found five staffers of Dillibazar Land Revenue Office – Kaladhar Deuja, Surendra Man Kapali, Mukunda Prasad Acharya, Jagat Prasad Pudasaini, and Yukta Prasad Shrestha, two middlemen – Shovakanta Dhakal and Ram Kumar Subedi, and late Subarna Shamsher’s family members Suniti Rana, Shailaja Rana, Heman Shumsher Rana, Hatak Shamsher Rana, and Rukma Shumsher Rana guilty in the case. They have been handed a Rs 7.5 million fine and a prison term of two years each.
Likewise, the Special Court has also ordered the government to confiscate land plots subsequently transferred in the name of 65 individuals.
The Special Court announced its verdict after hearing the case continuously for 23 days.
Meanwhile, former secretaries Dip Basnyat and Chhabi Raj Panta and 10 staffers of Dillibazaar Land Revenue Office – Prem Bahadur Khapung, Arjun Khatiwada, Shankar Prasad Subedi, Angur Sigdel, Kedar Prasad Shrestha, Hari Krishna Timilsina, Parhuram Pokharel, Krishna Prasad Paudel, Prakash Bhatta, and Tanka Poudel – have been convicted of creating fake tenants and transferring ownership of another 20 ropanis of land in Lalita Niwas in their names. They have been handed a fine of Rs 8.04 million and prison term of two years each.
Fake tenants Shreekrishna Maharjan, Dwarika Man Maharjan, Gwarabhai Maharjan, Machanani Maharjan, Baburaja Maharjan, Rena Gurung, Tirtha Maya Maharjan, Dev Narayan Maharjan, Tirtha Maya Maharjan, Kanchha Maharjan, Dev Narayan Maharjan, and Harsha Maharjan have also been found guilty.
Likewise, Min Bahadur Gurung, Ram Kumar Subedi and Shobha Kanta Dhakal have been handed fines of Rs 8.04 million and prison terms of two years each for creating fake tenants and registering land in their names or in the names of their family members.
