CIB collects statements from Madhav Nepal, Baburam for just formality
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) of Nepal Police has taken statements from two former Prime Ministers Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Madhav Kumar Nepal regarding the Lalita Niwas land case.
The CIB went to the homes of both the former prime ministers and took their statements and submitted its report, as reported by the media.
The statements were collected just for formality. On Tuesday, the CIB decided not to make the two former prime ministers defendant but government witnesses in the case.
It is because Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal does not want to jail the ex-PMs because he has been the PM only because of Madahv Nepal. Meanwhile, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police handed over the investigation report of the Lalita Niwas land scam to the District Government Attorney Office, Kathmandu on Tuesday. The CIB has suggested the District Government Attorney's Office file cases against around 250 persons including former Deputy Prime Minister and
Nepali Congress leader Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar for organised crime and forgery of government documents.
The CIB has also suggested naming former ministers Chandra Dev Joshi and Dambar Bahadur Shrestha, former state minister Sanjay Sah Takla and former chief commissioner for the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA)
Deep Basnyat, among others, as defendants in the case. Likewise, Shobhakant Dhakal, Ram Kumar Subedi and Bhatbhateni Supermarket owner Min Bahadur Gurung have been named as prime suspects while Bhattarai and Nepal have been named as government witnesses.
Lalita Niwas covers some 143 ropanis of land and includes the Prime Minister’s residence, Nepal Rastra Bank’s central office and some other residences of key government officials.
According to CIB’s spokesperson and Superintendent of Police, the CIB had received arrest warrants against 406 individuals. CIB submitted the investigation report to the Attorney's Office on the 57th day of their arrest.