KATHMANDU, July 14: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajkumar Gupta, who is implicated in a Rs 7.8 million bribery scandal, to resign.
On Monday morning, PM Oli summoned Minister Gupta to the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar and instructed him to step down, following his return from Jhapa.
PM summons Minister Gupta, implicated in bribery scandal to Bal...
After being implicated in the case, Minister Gupta had said that he was ready to be investigated if the party ordered. However, he had denied his involvement in the case, citing it was fabricated and made up.
Minister Gupta became embroiled in the bribery case after an audio recording surfaced revealing a ‘deal’ involving the transfer of employees and land revenue officers under the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation (MoLCPA). The minister is accused of accepting Rs 5.3 million to halt the transfer of Ramchandra Adhikari, the then chief of the Land Revenue Office in Kaski, and an additional Rs 2.5 million for the appointment of a district chairperson in the Land Commission—totaling approximately Rs 7.8 million.
A complaint was filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), accompanied by photos of two bags containing the bribe money, along with serial numbers and bundles of currency notes. Following the registration of the complaint, the audio recording of the bribery deal involving Minister Gupta was made public.
