Kathmandu, Dec 13: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed corruption cases on Thursday at the Special Court in Kathmandu against seven individuals and two companies linked to the visit visa racket. The charge sheet makes it clear the net is wider, with probes still running into other people and institutions.
The court had earlier asked the anti-graft body to file separate charges when incidents, dates, facts, and suspects differ. Acting on that order, the CIAA said it is carrying out parallel investigations tied to distinct acts and actors.
The charge sheet flags several names and outlines the suspicions against them. One finding stands out: a single mobile number was used to issue passports for 149 people. Investigators say the number, 9844823041, belonged to Lila Timilsina, a hotel operator from Bardiya who runs Navadurga Guest House in Samakhusi, Kathmandu.
The CIAA says it is probing the role of public officials who enabled the issuance of so many passports under one contact number. Staff from the Home Ministry and the Department of Passports under the Foreign Ministry could be drawn into the case.
The filing also details activity at Tribhuvan International Airport. Tirtha Raj Bhattarai served as chief immigration officer from October 23, 2024, to May 7, 2026. During that period, the airport immigration office reported that 153,974 Nepalis left the country on visit visas. Of them, 42,357 went to countries the CIAA classifies as high risk for labor migration.
The numbers break down as follows: 23,349 to the UAE, 7,161 to Oman, and 2,719 to Qatar. Among the 33,229 who traveled to these three countries, 16,769 were women. The CIAA says none had returned to Nepal by October 29, 2026.
Investigators are examining where these citizens are now, how they travelled, who facilitated the trips, and why they have not returned. The charge sheet also notes cases where tickets for multiple travellers were issued under one person’s name through travel agencies, yet immigration officers still cleared their departure. Separate probes are underway into ground handling agencies and immigration staff suspected of foul play.
The CIAA is also looking into travel agencies accused of sending people abroad on visit visas through arrangements with officials. Indian nationals transiting through Nepal to third countries are required to carry a no-objection certificate from the Indian embassy. The agency says some were allowed to leave without it, suggesting illegal facilitation and possible large-scale collections by immigration officials, including Bhattarai.
Further, blacklisted individuals reportedly received exit clearance, and Nepalis holding work visas were sent abroad on visit visas for higher fees. Phone records and a diary seized during the probe point to unusual contact between Bhattarai and aides to the then-home minister. The CIAA says it is examining possible money flows involving senior officials across the Home Ministry and immigration chain.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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