Kathmandu, September 2
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against five people, including Kumar Acharya, chief of the Land Revenue Office in Rupaandehi, for allegedly registering land belonging to a temple in an individual’s name.
The anti-graft body has sought a recovery of Rs453 million as damages from the accused, alleging that land subject to a landholding ceiling had been donated to the temple but was later registered in a private individual’s name.
The CIAA said the land had also been shown as belonging to the temple in the 2026 land survey.
The case has been filed against Acharya, who was the chief land revenue officer at the time, along with non-gazetted first-class officer (nayab subba) Laxman Neupane, Ajit Kumar Sahani, non-gazetted second-class employee (kharidar) Megh Bahadur Bhujel Magar, and landowner Parwatakant Mishra.
Acharya is a land revenue official who has repeatedly been embroiled in controversy.
While serving at the Bhaktapur Land Revenue Office, he faced allegations of taking a Rs2.4 million bribe. He was also involved in an attempt to register land belonging to the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa in a private individual’s name.
‘Airport land’ controversy
Acharya was the chief land revenue officer at the Rupaandehi Land Revenue Office when he decided to register part of the land inside the Gautam Buddha International Airport, also known as Bhairahawa International Airport, in an individual’s name.
The land had already been acquired by the government.
Acharya’s decision was based on what was alleged to be a misinterpretation of a court ruling. He had argued that the court had issued a mandamus order directing the land to be registered in the individual’s name.
However, the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court had actually ordered the authorities to examine the relevant matters and make an appropriate decision regarding the land registration.
In October 2023, while Acharya was serving as chief land revenue officer, the Land Revenue Office decided to register 4 bighas and 16 katthas of land in an individual’s name. The land was located inside the airport premises.
Speaking to Onlinekhabar at the time, Acharya claimed that he had made the decision only regarding 10 katthas of land and that decisions concerning the remaining land had already been made before he assumed office.
“I registered the land in the name of the person to whom it belonged,” he had said.
The controversial decision was halted after the District Administration Office, Rupaandehi, intervened following reports about the Land Revenue Office’s actions.
The administration sought an explanation from the Land Revenue Office, after which the further process was stopped.
The District Administration Office also investigated the decision, while the CIAA launched its own investigation into the matter.
The anti-graft body has now filed a corruption case in connection with that same incident.
