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KATHMANDU, Jan 18: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has challenged a Special Court order granting bail to Pradip Adhikari, former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), in the Pokhara airport corruption case. Adhikari, along with others, was accused of inflating costs during the airport’s construction. Following a bail hearing, the Special Court had set Adhikari’s bail at only NPR 500,000.

Adhikari could not secure release because another pending case related to the Nalinchok helipad required him to remain in custody. Other accused were released on regular dates. The unusually low bail for Adhikari sparked criticism on social media, with some targeting court procedures and judges. Supreme Court judges expressed concern that these attacks referenced Adhikari’s case specifically.

On December 8, 2025, the Special Court bench led by Chair Sudarshan Dev Bhatt and member Dilliratan Shrestha did not provide detailed reasoning for the low bail. The court considered Adhikari’s position, involvement in the project, and the allegations, setting bail at NPR 500,000 under Section 7(gh) of the Special Court Act, 2059 (2002). The CIAA has now filed a petition in the Supreme Court to overturn the Special Court’s decision.

Adhikari served as Project Chief of Pokhara Regional International Airport from 2014 to 2017. CIAA claims that technical failures by three companies during the initial tender led to improper re-involvement of the same firms, including China’s CAMC, in bid evaluations, which violated the Public Procurement Act. Although Adhikari denied wrongdoing during testimony, CIAA points to evidence in the case file showing he participated in formal processes that increased project costs.

CIAA further notes that Adhikari’s team held 23 rounds of discussions with Chinese representatives in April 2014, producing reports and recommendations that justified higher costs. The CIAA argues that accepting these reports effectively facilitated corruption, even if the accused were not formally involved in signing contracts.

The Special Court justified bail by stating that while Adhikari signed meeting minutes, there was no evidence of involvement in final approvals. CIAA contends this ignored critical evidence, impacting victims, witnesses, and public perception, and calls the decision disproportionate and legally flawed. The Supreme Court will now conduct a judicial review of the Special Court’s order, which could potentially alter bail conditions and affect the ongoing proceedings.

People’s News Monitoring Service