Government Employee Involved in Telecom Server Hacking Re-Arrested in E-Bidding Manipulation Case
Diviakar Deuja, a government employee who was arrested on 31 Ashad 2077 (mid-July 2020) for hacking Nepal Telecom’s servers, has now been implicated again in the ongoing e-bidding hacking case. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) apprehended Deuja from Botahity on 28 Falgun (mid-March 2022) and launched an investigation. So far, 13 individuals have been arrested in connection with unauthorized access and manipulation of contract details within the Public Procurement Monitoring Office’s system.
Kathmandu, 18 Baishakh (early May) – Deuja was initially arrested by the CIB for hacking Nepal Telecom’s mobile app servers, which caused significant damage to the company’s revenue and commercial image. At that time, Deuja, a 28-year-old resident of Pakhri Bas Municipality-5, Dhankuta, was working as a computer operator at the Urban Development and Building Office in Dhankuta. The CIB had filed a case against him under the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063 (2006).
Following the telecom’s request for an investigation, the CIB recovered two laptops and two mobile phones from Deuja during his arrest. He was found to have repeatedly accessed Nepal Telecom’s server system unauthorizedly using untraceable internet technologies. After the arrest, Deuja was released on a NPR 50,000 bail on 14 Shrawan 2077 (late July 2020) under the Kathmandu District Court order issued by then-Judge Kamal Prasad Pokharel.
Recently, Deuja was again arrested for manipulating contract details through unauthorized access to the online bidding system. The CIB officially confirmed his arrest from Botahity on 28 Falgun. The investigation has since revealed a major organized crime involving unauthorized access to the electronic government procurement system managed by the Public Procurement Monitoring Office, where contract documents were altered before opening financial proposals.
The preliminary investigation uncovered a large-scale operation, prompting the CIB to take over from the Cyber Bureau. So far, the CIB has arrested 13 suspects, including 10 construction businessmen from various parts of the country. Among the arrests were Bharat Dhami (25) from Durgathali Rural Municipality-3, Bajhang (apprehended in Suryabinayak Municipality-3, Bhaktapur), Sanjay Bhatt (39) from Bandipur Rural Municipality-1, Tanahun (arrested in Gulmi), Bhaskar Raj Aryal (35) from Kathmandu (arrested in Boharatar), Sagar Kutwal (40) from Hetauda (arrested in Kamaladi, Kathmandu), and Jivan Kumar Das (62) from Duhabi Municipality-5, Sunsari.
On 11 Baishakh (late April 2022), former minister and senior Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Vikram Pandey, who runs Kalika Construction Pvt Ltd, was arrested. Tank Kumar Shrestha, managing director of Bhishan Construction Pvt Ltd, was also detained on the same day in Samakhusi. On 12 Baishakh, Swadesh Pokharel (30), a shareholder and accountant of Inkone Pvt Ltd (formerly Pepsi Cola), was arrested. The following day, Prakash Dhungana (41), managing director of Kalpavriksh Builders Pvt Ltd, was taken into custody. Most recently, the CIB arrested 70-year-old Rishikesh Gauli, managing director of Ashish Construction Services.
According to officials involved in the investigation, Deuja gained unauthorized access immediately after the tender deadline, reviewed all bids, modified his own bid to be the lowest, and secured the contract. The CIB believes he negotiated with contracting companies to alter bids and rig contracts through online bid manipulation. Deuja reportedly received assistance from other hackers, although details on this have not been disclosed by the CIB.
The CIB has stated that this fraudulent manipulation of large contracts through unauthorized access and bid tampering has been ongoing for several years.
