Sunar is facing contempt of court cases in the Supreme Court, assault on a health worker in Surkhet, and violations of the Electronic Transactions Act in Kavre. Although arrest warrants have been issued from Surkhet and Kavre, he has not been arrested.
What you should know
The appointment of activist Khagendra Sunar, who was recommended by Prime Minister Sushila Karki as Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, has been put on hold.
The appointment was put on hold after Sunar's court cases and controversial past became public after his name was recommended to the President's Office on Sunday. Prime Minister Karki had recommended Dr. Sudha Sharma Gautam as Minister of Health and Population, Ganapati Lal Shrestha as Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Khagendra Sunar as Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, and Bablu Gupta as Minister of Youth and Sports to President Ram Chandra Poudel as soon as the office opened on Sunday.
After it was made public that cases were pending against Sunar from the district to the Supreme Court and that he had made obscene and indecent statements against various people in the past, Prime Minister Karki had discussed the matter in Baluwatar. After confirming his controversial background and the pending cases in court, Prime Minister Karki came to the conclusion that Sunar should not be made a minister. The Prime Minister's personal secretary Adarsh Shrestha had reached the President's Office with a letter prepared accordingly.
Sunar, who was not recommended as a minister and was not appointed, is the coordinator of the 'Dalit for Dalits' campaign. Sunar became active in the 'Dalit for Dalit' campaign after six youths, including Nawaraj BK, were killed in Sotigaoun in Chaurjahari Municipality, Rukum West on 10 Jestha 2077.
The Rukum West District Court had sentenced 23 people to life imprisonment in the Sotigaoun incident. In an appeal filed against it, the bench of Justices Somkant Mainali and Matrika Prasad Bhandari of the Surkhet High Court upheld the district court's life imprisonment verdict but acquitted them on the charge of caste-based untouchability. Against this, a group led by Sunar had created a ruckus in the court premises and vandalized the court gate. Sunar had also made threatening statements against the judges who would make the decision.
The victim was preparing to approach the Supreme Court after the Surkhet High Court verdict. After coming to Kathmandu, activist Sunar had made threatening statements, saying that since Nawaraj BK's case was going to the Supreme Court, it should be decided as demanded. "The Supreme Court, which is 50 meters away, will listen with open ears, our brother's case is coming to the Supreme Court. We will be bringing the case in a few months. If the High Court's verdict is upheld for those involved in caste violence in Dalit cases on this or that pretext, the Supreme Court will be on fire along with that judge, I will record this," Sunar had warned from his family home.
Advocate Manisha Gautam had filed a contempt case in the Supreme Court, claiming that Sunar's action constituted contempt of court. The case, which was issued a show cause order by the Supreme Court, is pending. The case, which was scheduled to be filed on 6 Asoj, has been adjourned after the Supreme Court was set on fire. After a contempt of court writ was filed against him, Sunar had written objectionable statements against Advocate Gautam on social media. He had even made Advocate Gautam's mobile number public and asked others to call him. A case is being filed against Sunar in Kavre in this regard under the Electronic Transactions Act.
Since Advocate Gautam's permanent address is in Kavre district, the Supreme Court had ordered the Kavre District Court to prosecute the case under the Electronic Transactions Act. The Kavre District Court had sent a letter to the Dailekh District Police Office on 27th July asking it to arrest Sunar. A 7-day and 35-day arrest warrant was issued in Sunar's name by the Kavre District Court. The Dailekh District Police Office said that the arrest warrant against Sunar was received only on Monday, informed the office's chief, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganesh Bahadur Baral.
The Surkhet District Court had also issued an arrest warrant against Sunar on 21st Asad 2081. The arrest warrant was issued against him on charges of assaulting the head of Mehelkuna Hospital, Dr. Sojan Sapkota, and vandalizing a health institution.
9-year-old Anmol BK, a resident of Gurbhakot Municipality-9 in Surkhet, was taken to Mehelkuna Hospital for treatment after being bitten by a snake on 12th Jestha 2081. Anmol, who was referred to the Provincial Hospital Surkhet after first aid, died on the way. That night, a group including Sunar attacked health workers, accusing the doctor of causing the child's death. The hospital was also vandalized. The head of the hospital, Dr. Sapkota, filed a complaint against him at the Area Police Office, Chhinchu. Based on that complaint, an arrest warrant was issued by the Surkhet District Court against Sunar. However, the police have not arrested him. Sunar, a permanent resident of Narayan Municipality in Dailekh, was also a general convention representative of the Nepali Congress. He also worked in journalism for some time.
Appointment was also stopped after recommendation
The appointment of Dr. Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra, whom Prime Minister Karki had recommended for the post of Health Minister on 5 Ashojan, was also stopped. After the name was recommended to the President's Office, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had issued a notice stating that an investigation was underway into the corruption complaint filed against Dr. Mishra. After that, Prime Minister Karki removed her name from the list of candidates for becoming a minister.
The Commission A corruption case has been filed against 14 people, including Mishra, on October 2. Before being recommended for the post of minister, Dr. Mishra was the additional secretary of the Ministry of Health. After not being made the secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mishra, who was fighting a case in the Supreme Court, resigned from her post when it seemed certain that she would become a minister.
The Authority has accused 14 people, including Dr. Mishra, of corruption of Rs 146.85 million in the ‘purchase of 3D mammography machines’. The Authority’s charge sheet states that corruption occurred at all stages, from cost estimation to payment, in collusion with the contractor company Maxim Incorporation Traders Pvt. Ltd. during the procurement of the ‘mammography machine’.
According to the Authority, when Dr. Mishra was the Director General of the department, a false report was prepared and Rs 133.783 million was paid without receiving all the materials as per the agreement. On July 23, 2081, Maxim provided partial materials, but the next day, on July 24, Dr. Mishra was found to have recommended the Finance Department for payment. The supplier, however, had only released the goods from the customs office on 8 Asoj 2081.
The purchase agreement was made on 24 Jestha 2081. A month before that, on 26 Baisakh, the manufacturing company General Medical Material, Italy, had sent an 'invoice' to open a letter of credit. The charge sheet of the Authority states that the Mishra-led department provided confidential details related to the bid, including the cost estimate, to the suppliers and paid Rs 127.5 million when the material could have been available for Rs 68.5 million.
The Authority has accused the Health Services Department of unnaturally increasing the cost estimate, selecting contracts in violation of the Public Procurement Act and regulations, and systematically colluding with the aim of damaging government property. The others named by the Authority include the department's director Dr. Shravan Kumar Thapa, senior health administrator Dr. Surendra Prasad Chaurasia, director Dr. Bivek Kumal Lal, Chief Accounts Controller Bhuwan Prasad Kafle.
Similarly, cases have also been filed in the special court against Public Health Officer Deepak Adhikari, Branch Officer Yadav Prasad Sapkota, Accounts Officer Shambhu Prasad Dhakal, Law Officer Sita Ghimire, Biomedical Engineers Ashish Chauhan and Padma Mishra, and Public Health Inspector Sanjay Kumar Sah and Accountant Tilak Ram Dhakal. A case has also been filed against Sundar Bhusal, the operator of the contractor company Maxim.
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Shrestha did not take oath after the change of ministry
Among the four people recommended by Prime Minister Sushila Karki as ministers on Sunday, the appointment of Ganapati Lal Shrestha has also been postponed. Shrestha was recommended as the Minister of Tourism, but after discussing with some ministers and officials of her secretariat, Karki came to the conclusion that Shrestha should be given the responsibility of the Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation instead of the Minister of Tourism. An hour after the initial recommendation, a revised recommendation to appoint Shrestha as the Minister of Land was sent to the President's Office. However, after Shrestha expressed dissatisfaction with it, his appointment was postponed at the request of the Prime Minister.
Heritage conservation activist Shrestha said that his appointment was stopped after the sudden change of ministry. ‘I was told to be given the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Yesterday, the same thing happened with the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Energy Minister. Today (Sunday) the ministry was suddenly changed, I was not consulted even once,’ he said, ‘The Prime Minister also did not give a satisfactory answer.’ He said that the responsibility should be given after understanding whether he is competent to do the work of the concerned ministry or not.
Shrestha has been active in the campaign to save the heritage of the valley for a decade. A native of Jhonchhe, he had raised his voice against the then Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s decision to hand over the responsibility of managing the Hanumandhoka area to a private company. He had also warned against the use of concrete in the Ranipokhari reconstruction and Pashupati area after the earthquake. He had increased public pressure not to use cement and rods in the Balgopaleshwor temple. He had come out on the streets against the move to commercialize the open platform.
