Chief Justice (CJ) Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha has transferred Judge Yagya Prasad Acharya at the Kathmandu District Court, who released three persons including businessman Arun Chaudhary on normal date, to Mugu on deputation.
SC Spokesperson Bed Prasad Uprety has confirmed with Setopati that Acharya has been transferred to the Mugu District Court.
Judges have to be transferred by the Judicial Council chaired by CJ, but the CJ personally can transfer them on deputation.
A Judicial Council member confided with Setopati that CJ Shrestha has transferred Acharya deeming the latter’s order to release Chaudhary, who was arrested on charge of converting 10 ropanis of public land belonging to the erstwhile Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory into private property, to be unusual. The member has also revealed that the Judicial Council will initiate investigation on Acharya.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police released Chaudhary, who was also the promoter of Champion Footwear Limited, the then executive chairman of Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory Ajit Narayan Singh Thapa, and promoter of Chandbagh Residency Private Limited Sanjay Thakur from custody on February 7. The three were arrested in connection with the land grabbing scam on January 31.
The Kathmandu District Court had initially remanded them to custody for four days and then for another two days on February 5.
But a bench of Judge Yagya Prasad Acharya had ordered the three to be released two days later by making them sign necessary documents stating that it did not appear necessary to keep them in custody for 25 days.
The CIB had arrested the three following an investigation for more than three months which it said found their involvement in converting the public land into private property.
It was found that CG Chandbagh Residency was built on 10 ropanis of the public land given to Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory, the CIB said.
Organizing a press conference on February 1, CIB’s Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Acharya had said that attempts were made to convert not only 10 ropanis, but the entire 18 ropanis of public land at Bansbari. The CIB had claimed that Champion Footwear Limited was set up at Bansbari to grab the public land there
