Kathmandu – The high-profile Patanjali land case took a new turn on Friday as four defendants appeared before the Special Court to record their statements. The proceedings follow a corruption case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which has named 93 individuals, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, as defendants.
As scheduled, four individuals who had notified the court of their intent to appear began delivering their statements before the special bench.
Among those present were Kamala Ghimire, the wife of the late Madhav Prasad Ghimire, former Secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform; Ramkaji Shrestha, former Nayab Subba at the Kavre Land Revenue Office; Kedar Nath Bhattarai; and Monaram Sharma, then a junior officer (Kharidar). A joint bench comprising Justices Tej Narayan Singh Rai and Muraribabu Shrestha presided over the initial hearing.
Once their statements are concluded, the court will proceed with a detention hearing to decide whether the accused will be remanded in custody or released on bail pending trial.
These four individuals are part of the 93 named in the large-scale corruption case filed earlier by the CIAA. The case has drawn significant national attention due to the involvement of high-profile figures and its implications for land governance in Nepal.
