Kathmandu, Nepal — Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has been indicted in a major corruption case by Nepal’s anti-graft body, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), over the controversial transfer and resale of 815 ropanis of government land allocated to Patanjali Yogpeeth. The case has triggered one of the largest anti-corruption actions against a senior political figure in recent years.
The land, situated in Bancha village of Panchkhal Municipality in Kavre district, was originally granted in 2010 during Nepal’s tenure as prime minister. It was intended for a non-profit Ayurvedic university and herbal research center, led by Indian yoga guru Ramdev’s organization, Patanjali. The land was granted under Nepal’s land ceiling exemption law, which permits large plots to be allocated for social or educational projects but strictly prohibits commercial resale.
Public Land, Private Profit: What Went Wrong
Despite its non-profit designation, investigators allege that just two months after receiving the land, Patanjali Nepal Pvt. Ltd. sold 353 ropanis and 15 annas to Kasthamandap Business Homes, a private housing developer. The CIAA has stated that the land transfer was executed without formal Cabinet approval, reportedly based on verbal instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office at the time.
Then-Minister for Land Reform and Management, Dambar Bahadur Shrestha, has admitted there was no written documentation for the land transfer, raising serious questions about transparency and executive overreach.
The CIAA has filed charges against 93 individuals, including top politicians, government officials, land survey officers, and business executives. The commission is demanding more than NPR 180 million in compensation and has called for the confiscation of the land in question under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
This case, long buried in bureaucratic files, was revived in early 2024 by the administration of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who also reopened other politically sensitive investigations, such as the Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam and the Baluwatar Land Grab.
Political Fallout and Strong Denial from Madhav Nepal
While legal experts have praised the renewed investigation as a step toward enforcing accountability, opposition leaders claim the case is being politically weaponized ahead of national elections. They argue that the ruling party is selectively targeting rivals while ignoring similar misconduct within its own ranks.
Madhav Kumar Nepal, who currently chairs the CPN (Unified Socialist), has strongly denied any wrongdoing. In a public statement, he said the decision to allocate the land was made in good faith for public benefit and that he had no role in the subsequent illegal resale. He described the charges as “politically motivated” and vowed to defend his record in court.
Despite the denial, the indictment has created major ripples across Nepal’s political landscape. For many observers, the case highlights the deep-rooted issues in land governance and the challenge of separating public service from private interests.
