Purchase of land with bribe money

The authority has alleged that Engineer Bhattarai, through a third person, took Rs 80 lakh from the businessman Safiq Ahmed, who had taken the contract for the construction of the fund.

According to the authority, Bhattarai bought land of 2 ropani 9 annas and 2 annas 1 paisa land in Gundu of Bhaktapur in the name of mother Janakandani with the bribe money. Therefore, along with Bhattarai, his mother has also filed a case as a defendant, according to the authority. A demand of Rs 80 lakh has been made against them.

Authority spokesperson Narahari Ghimire said that the case was filed after it was confirmed that the land was bought by taking bribe from the contractor. Bhattarai and some other people are being investigated for illegal wealth acquisition and after finding additional evidence that he had bought land by taking bribes, now a case has been filed only in this case. According to the authority, Ahmed of Babul Nirman Seva and Arghakhanchi Babul JV account of Babul Nirman Seva and Bhattarai through a third person gave the authority.

Bhattarai asked the bribe money to be deposited in the name of the person who will find the land and sell the land, according to the authority. It was revealed by the authority's investigation that Bhattarai ordered the money to be deposited into the bank accounts of Aite Tamang, who sold the land, and Nanikaji Thapa, who searched for the land, saying that if he received the money directly, suspicion would arise. In the statement given by Ahmed to the authority, it is mentioned that in order to get the contract work, he deposited the amount in the account of the designated person as told by the engineer. Bhattarai bought the land registered in the name of Tamang in the name of his mother Jankanandani Bhattarai on 27th Baisakh 2079. It is seen from the land record.

The payment for the land was collected in the name of the intermediary Nanikaji Thapa and the land owner Tamang. On the day before the purchase of the land, Ahmed had deposited 30 lakh rupees in Thapa's name on 26th of Baisakh and 10 lakh rupees on 22nd from the account of Babul Nirman Seva. From the same account, Ahmed deposited Rs 29 lakh 99 thousand through three checks of Rs 9 lakh 99 thousand in the account of Krishi Bikas Bank in Sallaghari of the land owner Tamang. On the same day, Thapa deposited an additional 999,000 rupees in Tamang's account from the Chabahil Agricultural Development Bank.

Bhattarai was the head of planning at the fund till the year 2075/76. During Bhattarai's time, Ahmed got a contract worth 1.22 billion. At that time, after the details of the bribe taken by Bhattarai from the contractor came out, the authority investigated. The authority has also demanded to confiscate the land purchased through bribery. In his statement to the authority, Thapa, who was looking for land, has given a statement that he found land for Bhattarai based on his acquaintance and provided the money to Tamang as he said. Tamang has stated that Bhattarai himself said that he would purchase the land, but when it was passed, it was registered in his mother's name.

The owner of the land, Tamang, has given a statement that he sold the land to Janakandani for 1 crore 72 lakh rupees. While passing the land, Bhattarai mentioned only 38 lakhs. Ahmed, the contractor, has given a statement that he has deposited 80 lakh rupees in Tamang and Thapa's bank account as per engineer Bhattarai.

"As I did construction work in the Lumbini Development Fund, according to Bhattarai, who is working as the head of planning in the fund, I put it into the account of Aite Tamang and Nanikaji Thapa," he said in a statement. Defendant Bhattarai has claimed that he is acquainted with the construction business but he himself did not do the financial transactions. Bhattarai's mother Janakandani has claimed that she bought the land with the money borrowed from the contractor.