It has been found that the public land that was built as Rupani Bazaar after paying compensation nearly 50 years ago was bought and sold in collusion with Dinesh Kumar Yadav, the chairman of Rupani Rural Municipality in Saptari, and Ward Chairman Lila Yadav.

The then Raipur Village Panchayat had paid compensation to the late Agam Shamsher Thapa of Kathmandu on 7 Asoj 2033, and the late Thapa, who received 3,000 in compensation, had also helped in establishing Rupani Bazaar. However, the evidence and statement submitted by Rural Municipality Chairman Yadav in the Rajbiraj Bench of the Janakpur High Court to buy and sell the 1 bigha 4.5 dhur land that had been withheld have been released, while Ward Chairman Yadav has passed most of the plotted land in the name of her husband Pitambar Yadav while recommending a house plan by mentioning false details.

The then Raipur Village Panchayat itself had plotted the land and approved the regulations (laws) for market management by the village assembly. Pradhanpanch Musharu Yadav had sent them to the District Panchayat Secretariat for approval on 23 Jestha 2034.

When the regulations were also approved in the meeting held there on 11 Shrawan 034, the land was given to the locals for use by mentioning the plot number. For that, the locals paid Rs. 200 per plot and started building houses.

On 10 Baisakh 2056, the then Nakti Raipur VDC had also frozen the land of plot number 1695 of ward number 8(B) on the same basis by means of a letter mentioning invoice number 165. However, on 19 Poush 2082, Municipal Chairman Yadav sent a recommendation to the Land Reforms and Land Revenue Office, Rajbiraj, under challan number 926, and the land was released, and the sale and purchase process began on the basis of distribution.

Currently, 24 families, including Ward Chairman Yadav, are living in three-story concrete houses on 23 plots on the land. The remaining land has structures such as a health post, gymnasium, playground, hutiya gilesan, dharamshala, Shiva temple, well, etc. However, Ward Chairman Yadav of Rupani-1, while recommending the land for sale and purchase in challan number 777 on 7 Magh 2082, has mentioned false details that there is no house there. On the same basis, more than half of the total land on which government structures were built on 8 Magh 2082, has passed into the joint names of late Thapa's daughters-in-law Rachana Singh Thapa and Bina Thapa.

Plot number 1695 was divided into 10 katthas and 4 and a half dhurs of plot number 2092, which remained in the joint name of Rachana and Bina, and most of the remaining plotting land was passed in the name of the ward chair's husband, Pitambar. Plot numbers 2087 and 2091, 1 kattha and 16 dhurs of land were passed in the name of Pitambar alone, while 5 and a half katthas of land were passed in joint ownership.

Pitambar also became a shareholder in the ownership of 1 kattha and 7 dhurs of plot number 2088 and 4 kattha and 3 dhurs of plot number 2090, which were passed in joint ownership. Along with Pitambar of 2088, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, Satyanarayan Yadav, Rita Kumari Yadav, Phul Kumari Yadav and Aarti Kumari Yadav became joint owners.

The land of plot number 2090, including Pitambar, has been passed in the joint name of Satyanarayan Yadav, Aartikumari Yadav and Sanjaykumar Yadav. 2 katha 6 dhur land of plot number 2086 has been passed in the joint name of Rita Kumari Yadav, Phaulkumari Yadav and Sunita Kumari Yadav and 8 dhur land of 2089 has been passed in the joint name of Ram Ekwal Yadav and Aartikumari Yadav. However, the enjoyment of most of those plots is in the name of other families there. They have been living in a permanent house since 2033 BS.

The currently established plot number 2086, which previously had plots of 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144, has a house based on the enjoyment of plots of Jawahar Sah, Bishnath Sah, Asiadevi, Ramkali Chaudhary, Harinarayan Sah, Mahendra Yadav and Ramnarayan Yadav. Urmila Devi has a Bhogchalan only in plots 134 and 135 of 2087. Urmila Devi is the mother-in-law of Ward Chairman Yadav. In 2088, there is a public platform with a peepal tree in the vacant land in front of the Shiva temple.

In 2089, while plots number 225 (a) and (b) are there, Ramesh Yadav and Ram Ekwal Yadav have a house with Bhogchalan. In 2090, while plots 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152 and 153, 154, 155, 156 and 157 are there, Rita Devi Chaudhary, Kamal Kant Jayaswal, Md. Suleman, Laxman Yadav, Gulawdevi Yadav, Budhni Kumari Sah, Dinesh Kumar Sah, Suresh Sah, Phulodavi Sah and Hirai Sah have a house with Bhogchalan and Kedar Sah has a house with Bhogchalan.

Plots 145 and 146 of 2091 were in the possession of Krishna Kumar Chaudhary and Vidya Devi, but Ranju Chaudhary has built a house and is living there. Plot number 2092, which was passed in the name of Agam Shamsher's daughters-in-law Rachana and Bina, also has structures such as a health post building, gymnasium building, dharamshala building, playground, hatiya gilesan, Shiva temple, well, etc.

The locals are not aware that the public land that they have been using for almost 50 years has been passed in someone else's name. 'We have been living here since 2033 BS by paying the fee.' It is known that some people's representatives are currently manipulating the land for personal gain. We do not know in whose name it was passed,' said local Laxman Yadav, showing the document that certified the plot, 'This is completely wrong and against the law. Action should be taken against such people's representatives.'

Municipality Chairman Yadav said that the land was recommended to be released as per the recommendation from the ward office to pass the land in the name of the residents. ‘It seems that the then village panchayat had given some compensation to Agam Shamsher and set up a market.’ But now his daughters-in-law have filed a petition claiming their rights,’ he said, ‘We will return the excess land that was given to the ward chairman’s husband, Pitambar, and transfer it to the names of those who are enjoying it.’ However, when public structures were being constructed on the land, Shamsher’s daughter-in-law Rachana did not want to talk about the evidence and statements submitted by Chairman Yadav in the case filed in the High Court of Janakpur, Rajbiraj, seeking an injunction.

Rachana had earlier filed a case in the court on 8 Baisakh 2081, making the rural municipality the defendant, to stop the construction of public structures on the land. The case was dismissed by a joint bench of judges Purna Prasad Rajbanshi and Krishna Prasad Subedi on the basis of the evidence and statements submitted by the rural municipality during the hearing on 13 Jestha 2082. Although the case was dismissed by the court, locals say that the land was distributed in collusion with the municipal chairman and ward chairman.

Ward chairman Yadav said that the recommendation was made by mistake because there was no house there. ‘The work pressure is high here.’ When another plot should have been mentioned, plot number 1695 was mentioned and an error occurred. Work is being done to correct it.’ When asked about how more land was passed in her husband’s name even after the error, she said, ‘Everything cannot be clarified over the phone. Come to the office and I will tell you more.’