The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court in Kathmandu against Khakendra Bhandari, Ward Chair of Janaki Rural Municipality–9, Kailali, along with seven others, on charges of embezzling Rs 7.33 million from the Social Security Allowance Fund.
According to a statement released by the CIAA on Friday, Ward Chair Bhandari, former Ward Secretary Prem Bahadur Budha, office assistant Sonam Kathariya, non-gazetted officer Purna Bahadur Bista, and ward members Kalpana Khadka, Sunkosa Sarki, Vijay Bahadur Rawal, and Sher Bahadur Bishwakarma were found to have colluded in the irregular distribution of social security allowances.
The investigation revealed that between FY 2074/75 and the second quarter of FY 2077/78, allowances were distributed in the names of deceased individuals, duplicate beneficiaries using the same citizenship number, and unrenewed beneficiaries.
A forensic report from the National Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed that former Ward Secretary Budha had personally placed 479 fake thumbprints and office assistant Kathariya had used 204 thumbprints in the records to withdraw funds through bank accounts in the names of deceased or inactive beneficiaries.
The CIAA detailed the breakdown of the embezzled amount as follows:
- Rs 2.13 million paid through fake thumbprints by Secretary Budha
- Rs 781,200 through thumbprints used by office assistant Kathariya
- Rs 1.55 million paid to accounts renewed under deceased persons’ names
- Rs 178,400 distributed to duplicate beneficiaries
- Rs 1.32 million remaining in accounts of deceased individuals
- Rs 1.36 million in accounts of unrenewed beneficiaries
In total, the defendants misused Rs 7,337,627 in government funds, according to the CIAA’s findings.
The case has been filed under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 (2002).
Key Demands of the Charge Sheet:
- Ward Chair Khakendra Bhandari and former Ward Secretary Prem Bahadur Budha: imprisonment and fine equivalent to the embezzled amount.
- Office assistant Sonam Kathariya: imprisonment and fine based on Rs 920,400 in misused funds.
- Non-gazetted officer Purna Bahadur Bista: punishment for Rs 24,000 in irregular transactions.
- Four ward members: charged for aiding corruption by signing false reports that facilitated the misuse of public funds.
CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel stated that the actions — including misuse of government funds, disbursement to deceased persons, creation of duplicate beneficiary records, and certification of fake documents — clearly fall within the legal definition of corruption, prompting the commission to file the case in the Special Court.
About the Author
