Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against 14 individuals, including Dr Milan Kumar Thapa, Member Secretary of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), and two companies for alleged embezzlement of public property.
The CIAA lodged the case on Sunday, accusing them of irregularities in the procurement and installation of the electric crematorium on Pashupati cremation ground premises.
The charge sheet includes a claim for damages amounting to Rs 103.39 million.
According to the CIAA, the accused include Member Secretary Dr Thapa, Council Member Raj Kumar Khatri, then-Exeuctive Diector Dr Ghanshyam Khatiwada, Deputy Director Revati Raman Adhikari and then Officiating Deputy Director Sitaram Risel. Also named in the charge sheet are engineers Pashupati Thakur, Denis Upreti and Ramesh Puri; Accounts Officer Chandra Prasad Khanal; Yuvraj Adhikari, Head of the Electrical Department at Pulchowk Engineering Campus; and Legal Advisor Lain Bahadur Thapa.
Likewise, Manoj Puri and Yadu Nandan Bhattarai, promoters of Map Enterprises Pvt Ltd; and the Managing Director of Apple Engineering Professional Consultancy Pvt. Ltd have also been charged in the case.
According to CIAA, these individuals and firms caused substantial financial losses to the PADT through coordinated manipulation of the electric crematorium project by abusing their positions and violating public procurement norms.
