Tapendra Karki

The money laundering probe against Deepak Bhatta and Sulav Agarwal has intensified scrutiny over alleged attempts by government officials and influential individuals to influence the investigation.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam presented the agreement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. However, there is still no clear indication on the revision of the decades-old extradition treaty, which has remained under discussion for years.

The director of the DoNIDCR, Sanubabu Adhikari, admitted that the system had suffered a technical failure. “A technical problem has occurred, and the technical team is working to resolve it,” he said, adding that he could not say exactly when services would resume.

The SC has questioned several controversial decisions of Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government, including the dissolution of student and employees’ unions and the forced eviction of squatters, by issuing interim orders against their implementation.

A CIB investigation has uncovered a large-scale manipulation of Nepal’s e-bidding system, where confidential tender documents were allegedly hacked and bid rates altered in 313 public contracts, leading to charges against 22 individuals including former minister Bikram Pandey.

The Nepal Securities Board has expanded its investigation after concluding that serious violations occurred in share transactions involving Bhatta and Agrawal.

While Bhatta’s associate Sulav Agrawal has already been arrested, other key partners are still untraceable, according to police.

Thousands of bighas still under control of land mafias and individuals

The commission’s jurisdiction, outlined in a Nepal Gazette notice published on Thursday, casts a wide net.

A Cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to appoint Additional Inspector General (AIG) Poudel as the 13th Inspector General of Armed Police.