Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has given instruction to bring back 10 ropanis of land belonging to the erstwhile Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory under government ownership.
According to his secretariat, Home Minister Lamichhane instructed Home Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Inspector General of Police Basanta Kunwar and chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police Shyam Gyawali to immediately begin the process to bring back the land under government ownership.
“Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has given instruction to begin the process to bring back 10 ropanis of land of Bansbari Leather and Shoe Factory under government ownership today itself,” his secretariat said. “For that, the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police will record the statement of Binod Chaudhary to bring him under investigation.”
Home Minister Lamichhane has also given instruction to immediately implement the report submitted by the inquiry commission on gold smuggling.
“During a discussion held at the ministry some time ago, Minister Lamichhane gave instruction to take action against Krishna Bahadur Mahara and civil and police employees implicated by the report,” the secretariat said.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police had arrested Arun 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 on January 31 over their involvement in converting the public land into private property.
The CIB is preparing to record Binod Chaudhary’s statement in connection with the case.
The Kathmandu District Court had initially remanded the three to custody for four days and then for another two days on February 5.
But a bench of Judge Yagya Prasad Acharya 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 government had then initiated the process to bring back the land through the Land Revenue Office, Dilli Bazar.
On February 8, the Land Revenue Office, Dilli Bazar, wrote to Champion Footwear Pvt Ltd (now Chandbagh Residency Pvt Ltd) to return the 10 ropanis of land instructing the latter’s representative to report within 21 days saying that the law would take its course failing that.
The letter was addressed to board chairman of Chandbagh Sanjay Thakur. Thakur moved the SC against that letter.
