Prakash Pathak, who was arrested from the Philippines on charges of threatening a high-ranking official, has also been linked to former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAN) Pradeep Adhikari, who is also involved in corruption. During the investigation conducted by the District Police Range, Kathmandu, it was found that the official involved in the construction of a helipad in Nalinchowk, Bhaktapur, and the corruption case at the Pokhara International Airport had contact with Pathak. SSP Ramesh Thapa, Chief of the District Police Range, Kathmandu, said that an investigation is underway into the relations of 33-year-old Pathak, a permanent resident of Temal Rural Municipality-1, Kavre. “Currently, an investigation is underway against him for crimes including organized crime and criminal breach of trust,” Thapa said, “We are examining all aspects of Pathak.” According to the investigation officers, Pathak has admitted to knowing Adhikari, former Director General of CAN, in his statement given to the police in the presence of the government prosecutor.

During the investigation, the CIAA also asked about the statement issued by Pathak in the name of a militant organization, saying that he would kill Chief Commissioner Prem Kumar Rai.

‘We are working to verify it after suspicions arose,’ said the investigation officer. According to sources, preparations are underway to summon Adhikari for a statement. Adhikari is currently being held in Dillibazaar Jail for pre-trial detention.

‘Preparations are being made to write a letter to the jail requesting him to appear for a statement,’ the officer added, ‘some evidence collection is still ongoing.’

According to the investigation officers, Adhikari may have threatened the commission officials through various means to avoid the case. ‘He has yet to be heard himself, some facts found so far have given serious indications,’ said an officer. ‘The arrested Pathak has said that he has been acquainted with Adhikari since he was involved in student politics.’

In the second week of Mangsir 2082, a group named ‘Extremist Group of Nepal (EGN)’ sent an email to the CIAA threatening to kill Chief Commissioner Rai. After that information was made public, the Valley Crime Investigation Office, District Police Complex, Kathmandu and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police started an investigation.

The Valley Police Office had written to its subordinate units asking them to increase the security of the 10 high-ranking officials who were threatened, including Rai.

Among those threatened were former CIAA Chief Commissioner Lokman Singh Karki, former Nepal Oil Corporation Chief Gopal Khadka, Durga Prasai, who is active in the name of nation, nationality, religion, culture, and the great campaign to protect the nation, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, former IGP Om Bikram Rana, who was involved in the Sudan scandal, Hem Bahadur Gurung, and Ramesh Chand Thakuri.

Similarly, former Foreign Minister Arju Rana and former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand were also threatened by name.

Pathak, one of the people who made such threats, later released a video message saying that he was the chairman of the group. ‘Within a few hours of my list being made public, I have heard that my boys are being arrested by misusing the police administration. I have received information that 5-7 people have been arrested,’ he had said. ‘If criminals were arrested so quickly, what kind of good governance would be established in Nepal?’

In the same message, he had threatened to kill Chief Commissioner Rai of the Authority within 10 days if he did not resign, saying that his life expectancy was ‘not that long’.

A few days after this letter was received, on 17 Mangs, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority arrested the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAN).

The commission team had taken former Director General Murari Bhandari and the official into custody to investigate the construction of a ‘heliport’ in Nalinchowk, Bhaktapur. Later, the special court ordered the official to be sent to custody for trial.

The police were conducting a separate investigation into Pathak. According to an officer involved in the investigation, the police had obtained an arrest warrant against Pathak from the Kathmandu District Court on 25 Mangsir 2082 to investigate the crime of criminal breach of trust. Based on the details, a ‘diffusion notice’ was issued against Pathak in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for extortion and criminal conspiracy.

After the police discovered that he was in the Philippines, they coordinated with Interpol there. In the process, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) of the Philippines arrested him from Malolos City in the third week of last December.

After his arrest, the BI released a statement with a photo, saying that ‘Pathak had made statements that incited fugitive prisoners not to surrender, provided financial support, and indicated that he had access to weapons.’

According to the Philippines’ immigration records, he had arrived there on 2 Bhadra 2082. After completing the legal process, Pathak, who was arrested in the Philippines, was brought to Kathmandu by the police on 28 Magh.