I have no involvement in Lalita Niwas land grab case: Gachhadar

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) Vice-President Bijay Kumar Gachhadar claimed that he is not guilty in the Lalita Niwas land grab case.

Speaking at a press conference organised in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Gachhadar said that he only took the proposals of various levels to the council of ministers as per the directive of former Prime Minister Madav Kumar Nepal.

Leader Gachhadar claimed that he was indicted in the Lalita Niwas land grab case out of political prejudice and vendetta.

He said that some people were given amnesty just owing to political prejudice.

“The planning to expand the prime minister’s residence was started before I was appointed as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure. I implemented the proposal as the instruction came directly from former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal,” he said.

Gachhadar said that he just played the role of a departmental minister while implementing the master plan of the government.

Earlier in February 2020, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a case against 175 individuals including Gachhadar for transferring the land plots of Baluwatar to the name of individuals.

Nearly a year and a half after the anti-body watch dog filed a case against him, he turned himself in to the court after his party President Sher Bahadur Deuba was appointed as the Prime Minister. Later, the Special Court ordered to release him on a bail of Rs 1 million.