Bribery Scandal Rocks Pokhara Land Deal: Ministers Implicated, One Resigns

A major corruption scandal has emerged in Pokhara’s Batulechour area, exposing a controversial land deal involving bribes and the misuse of political power. Despite allegations against at least four high-level officials, including sitting and former ministers, the government has yet to take serious action.

The controversial deal revolves around 134 ropanis of land in the “Litchi Bagan” area, allegedly transferred through fraudulent means orchestrated by land mafias and intermediaries. The scandal implicates Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Minister Balram Adhikari, former Federal Affairs Minister Rajkumar Gupta, former Land Management Minister Ranjita Shrestha, and former Secretary Arjun Prasad Pokharel.

An audio recording made public last week revealed a bribe deal between Gupta, Shrestha, and intermediary Sujan Lama. A second audio, released Wednesday, claims that Minister Adhikari received NPR 3.2 million through his son Manoj. The same recording mentions that Secretary Pokharel allegedly took NPR 500,000 in bribes.

Minister Adhikari and Rajkumar Gupta are both Members of Parliament representing CPN-UML, while Ranjita Shrestha leads the Nagarik Unmukti Party and is also a sitting lawmaker. Shrestha served as land minister from April 2023 to March 2024, after which Adhikari assumed office.

Rajkumar Gupta resigned on July 16, 2025, following public outrage and leaked audio exposing a bribe agreement to appoint Khem Bahadur Pun, a UML district leader, as head of the Land Issues Resolution Commission in Kaski. However, Minister Adhikari has denied any wrongdoing in a press conference held the next day.

Adhikari confirmed meeting intermediary Lama but claimed no involvement in bribery or land misuse. “He came with two or three people regarding a transfer of Ram Chandra Adhikari. I told them I had no say in official transfers,” said the minister. Ram Chandra was transferred to Lamjung on January 5, 2025.

The second audio suggests Lama met with Minister Adhikari and claimed familiarity with his family. Lama reportedly stated, “Had I met you earlier and insisted on Khem Pun, you would have appointed him.”

Minister Adhikari admitted familiarity with Lama’s family but denied meeting him to discuss any appointments. In contradiction, leaked conversations suggest that a bribe of NPR 2.5 million was agreed upon for Khem Pun’s appointment, with Adhikari’s name mentioned directly. However, Adhikari ultimately appointed Bain Bahadur Gurung to the position.

Adhikari expressed outrage over the public dragging of his son Manoj, who lives in New Zealand. The audio alleges Manoj returned to Nepal to facilitate the bribe deal. “I am being defamed by those whose demands I did not fulfill,” said Adhikari.

The recordings allege that during Minister Adhikari and Manoj’s visit to Pokhara, intermediaries manipulated decisions, including the transfer of Land Revenue Officer Ram Chandra Adhikari.

Former Minister Shrestha is also suspected of working with the land mafia even after leaving her post. Reports indicate she visited Pokhara with Gupta and intermediaries to advance the fraudulent land transfer.

According to records, Ram Chandra Adhikari was transferred to Kaski from Rainaskot Municipality on January 4, 2023, under suspicious circumstances. He was then moved to Baglung in December 2024, replaced by Chiranjivi Paudel, and later tried to block Paudel’s return by appealing to the High Court Patan—unsuccessfully.

On February 6, 2025, a controversial legal document was signed allocating 33% of the disputed land to former landowners and the remainder to intermediaries. This land, originally a Rana-era Birta grant to Durgadevi Shah, was registered in the names of her four grandsons: Suraj Thakuri, Sunil Thakuri, Bhimsen Thakuri, and Om Bahadur Thakuri.

The leaked recordings also reveal Secretary Pokharel accepting a bribe and gifts such as whiskey and wild chicken from intermediaries.

A formal complaint was filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on June 24, 2025. However, CIAA has yet to prioritize the investigation, despite mounting evidence and public pressure. Officials claim that voice authentication tests of the leaked audio are underway in forensic labs.