Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Khagendra Sunar has submitted a written response to the party’s disciplinary commission over remarks he allegedly made during a phone conversation with a woman.
Harichandra Bhattarai, deputy head of the commission and an advocate, confirmed that Sunar had submitted his response. However, Bhattarai declined to disclose its contents, saying the submission marked the first stage of the investigation.
The commission has also formed a separate six-member investigation committee to look into the matter. The committee, led by Bhattarai, has been authorised to prepare a report with its findings and recommendations. No deadline has been set for the investigation.
“The first stage of an investigation is to seek a response. If the commission is not satisfied with it and believes further evidence is needed, the next stage of the investigation will begin,” Bhattarai told Onlinekhabar.
At its first meeting on Thursday, the investigation committee decided to collect audio recordings allegedly featuring Sunar and seek further material from media outlets that published them.
“We have collected the audio and video materials. We have decided to write to the media outlets that published the audio, asking them to provide related materials and assist the investigation,” Bhattarai said.
The audio was first published by the online edition of the weekly newspaper Jana Astha. The committee also plans to request additional material, including content aired by News 24 Television that was attributed to the woman described as the alleged victim.
The committee will write to the concerned media outlets seeking the original, unedited audio recordings. It will also consult technical experts where necessary, with Bhattarai saying such consultations would be conducted in accordance with the law.
The committee has said it aims to conduct a swift, thorough, factual and credible investigation into the allegations against Sunar.
“The investigation is being conducted in considerable depth. We are working to ensure its credibility,” Bhattarai said.
Khagendra Sunar added that the committee was carrying out its work without obstructing any investigation by state authorities.
The committee said it would be difficult to complete the investigation and submit its report before Dashain.
“We cannot say at this stage how the evidence will develop or what further steps the investigation will require,” Bhattarai said. “We have written to request the original audio. If it arrives soon, we will convene another meeting. Dashain is also approaching, and we cannot tell committee members that they are not allowed to observe cultural festivals.”
