Special Court Grants Bail to Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal

Former Prime Minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal has been released on bail of NPR 3.5 million following an order from the Special Court. The decision came after a preliminary detention hearing in a corruption case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

The bench of judges Tej Narayan Singh Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Bidur Koirala issued the order late Tuesday night, according to court spokesperson Yagya Raj Regmi.

Case Overview

The CIAA filed a case earlier this month, alleging irregularities in a 2009 Cabinet decision that granted land ceiling exemptions to Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal, affiliated with Indian yoga figure Ramdev. The decision had allowed the company to purchase 554 ropani of land in Sanga and Mahendrajyoti, Kavrepalanchok — an amount exceeding the legal limit set by Nepal’s Land Act.

The commission claims that 314 ropani of that land, legally classified as public, was later sold to eight private individuals, resulting in financial loss to the state. CIAA has demanded NPR 185.85 million in restitution from Nepal.

The charge sheet states that the proposal to grant exemption was brought directly to the Cabinet, bypassing legal procedures, and that Nepal, as then Prime Minister, held responsibility for the decision.

Others Named in the Case

Alongside Madhav Nepal, the case names 93 individuals, including:

• Former Law Minister Prem Bahadur Singh
• Late Land Reform Minister Dambar Shrestha and his son Santosh Shrestha
• Former Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire and his wife Kamala Ghimire
• Land Reform Secretary Chhabiraj Pant and other ministry officials
• Officials from the Land Revenue and Guthi offices
• Sunrise Bank employees
• Shaligram Singh of Patanjali Nepal
• Eight land buyers

As per legal provisions, Nepal has been automatically suspended from his role as a Member of Parliament since the filing of the case.

Next Steps

The case is currently under judicial review, with further hearings expected in the coming weeks. While it has attracted public and media attention, the legal process is ongoing, and no verdict has been reached yet.