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KATHMANDU, July 14: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has instructed Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajkumar Gupta to resign following his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal worth Rs 7.8 million.

The directive came on Monday morning after the Prime Minister summoned Gupta to his official residence in Baluwatar, shortly after returning from Jhapa. Despite denying any wrongdoing and labeling the accusations as fabricated, Minister Gupta had earlier expressed his willingness to face an investigation if instructed by his party.

The controversy erupted after an audio recording surfaced, revealing conversations related to bribery in connection with the transfer of employees and land revenue officials under the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation (MoLCPA). Minister Gupta is accused of taking Rs 5.3 million to prevent the transfer of Ramchandra Adhikari, then chief of the Kaski Land Revenue Office, and an additional Rs 2.5 million in exchange for appointing a district chairperson in the Land Commission.

A formal complaint was filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), supported by photographic evidence of two bags filled with currency notes, including serial numbers and bundles of cash. The audio recording, allegedly capturing the bribery deal involving Minister Gupta, was made public soon after the complaint was lodged.

People’s News Monitoring Service