NU
Sat, 07 June 2025
Kathmandu - Nepal’s anti-corruption watchdog, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), has filed a corruption case against 93 individuals, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, marking the first time in the nation’s history that a former head of government has been implicated in such a scandal.
The case, filed at the Special Court on 5th June, is related to a massive illegal land transactions conducted under the guise of promoting herbal medicine and education. According to the CIAA’s 632-page charge sheet, the fraudulent dealings took place in ten districts across Nepal and involve hundreds of ropani and bigha of land, all tied to Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal. Patanjali is a conglomerate led by Indian Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Bal Krishna jee Maharaj.
Previously, former Prime Ministers and ministers often escaped corruption charges by citing collective cabinet decisions as “policy matters” — a legal loophole long criticized by experts. “I don’t want to enter into the legal issues raised in this case but certainly it’s a landmark moment towards establishing accountability in Nepal,” said Dr Bhimarjun Acharya, a constitutional lawyer.
Massive Land Grab
The company is accused of illegally acquiring land far beyond the legal ceiling, using political influence and through the decision of the Council of Ministers. Then Prime Minister Nepal and other senior officials allegedly allowed the company to sell hundreds of ropanis of land in Kavrepalanchok, Lamjung, Syangja, Kathmandu and other districts.
At the heart of the scandal is Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, officially registered in 2007. Of its five directors, four are Indian nationals: Swami Ramdev (patron), Acharya Balkrishna (chairperson), Mahant Rajendra Das, and Rajendra Singh. Only one, Shaligram Singh of Kathmandu, is a Nepali citizen and is the only director named as a defendant in the CIAA chargesheet.
This selective prosecution has raised serious concerns. Despite being listed as top decision-makers in company documents, neither Ramdev nor Balkrishna have been charged. “If they are part of the leadership and the company committed fraud, why are they untouched?” a legal expert asked.
Former Prime Minister Nepal, who has returned to Kathmandu from his constituency in Rautahat district, has claimed that he is innocent. Lawyers have advised him to submit an evidence in the court. As per Nepal’s law, Mr Nepal’s membership of parliament will remain suspended until the court issues a final verdict.
