KATHMANDU, Sep 20: Hari Prasad Kandel, a suspended leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), who was arrested for producing counterfeit educational certificates and the government’s hologram to secure a government teaching job, has been taken into judicial custody until the final verdict.
The Rupandehi District Court had ordered police to send him to judicial custody a few days ago. However, Kandel was arrested only on Saturday as there was no space in the prison following the vandalism during the Gen Z protest.
Kandel's arrest was based on the statement of 25-year-old Abhishek Yadav, a resident of Naubasti, Kanpur, India, who was arrested on August 15, 2025. Yadav was found in possession of a large number of fake certificates from various universities.
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Yadav told police that he had brought the fake certificates and hologram stickers under a plan devised by Hari Prasad Kandel of Chitwan. Based on this testimony, police arrested Kandel and launched further investigation.
Following his arrest, the RSP suspended Kandel from all party responsibilities, including his position as Coordinator of the Bagmati Province Training Department.
The order to remand Kandel in custody was issued by a single bench of Judge Dilliram Aryal of the Rupandehi District Court. Notably, Kandel is already facing another case at the Supreme Court regarding fake educational certificates.
A few years ago, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a charge sheet at the Special Court, Kathmandu, on January 31, 2023, alleging that Kandel had used fake academic certificates to obtain a government position and commit corruption.
Following this, the Special Court on February 23, 2024, sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. He then appealed the verdict at the Supreme Court.
Kandel is accused of acquiring fake academic degrees ranging from +2 (intermediate) to even a PhD, while serving as Principal of Shree Bhimodaya Model Secondary School, located in Padampur of Kalika Municipality–5, Chitwan.
