No Charges to Be Filed Against Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwaadi in Immigration Bribery Case

Following a thorough review of the case, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has closed the file against former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwaadi, deciding not to proceed with charges related to the bribery scandal at Tribhuvan International Airport’s immigration department. While the CIAA has filed corruption charges against Joint Secretary Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, no evidence was found implicating Lekhak or Duwaadi.

In 2017, the Special Court instructed separate charge sheets to be brought for different incidents, and the CIAA has concluded certain cases accordingly. Kathmandu, 27 Baisakh. The bribery scandal involving the immigration section at Tribhuvan International Airport that implicated former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwaadi will not result in charges against them. After the CIAA’s investigation revealed “no evidence found” against these two officials, the case file was closed without prosecution.

An investigation officer from the CIAA stated, “All charges were limited to the then Chief Immigration Officer Tirtha Raj Bhattarai. Further prosecution was halted as no additional evidence was found.” The issue surfaced when Bhattarai was arrested on 7 Jestha 2082 BS, exposing the visa bribery case. The allegations included providing personnel with fake identity endorsements to exploit the airport immigration system for personal gain, implicating former Home Minister Lekhak, Home Secretary Duwaadi, and Joint Secretary (later Chief District Officer of Kathmandu) Shabiraj Rizal, among others.

On 21 Mangsir 2082 BS, the CIAA filed corruption charges against Bhattarai and seven others. The commission had previously informed the Special Court that investigations were underway against former Home Minister Lekhak and others. The CIAA accused Bhattarai and his associates of establishing a bribery network while issuing visit visas for Nepali workers abroad.

The investigation included high-ranking officials such as the former Home Minister, Home Secretary Duwaadi, and Joint Secretary Shabiral Rizal, as noted in reports submitted to the Special Court. The court directed, in 2017, that distinct charge sheets be filed for different facts, persons involved, and incidents. Following this directive, the CIAA progressively concluded several cases and presented charges accordingly.

During the investigation, authorities recovered Bhattarai’s diary from Tribhuvan International Airport and analyzed call detail records (CDRs) from Nepal Telecom. The CIAA claimed that the analysis revealed suspicious connections between Bhattarai and the private secretaries of the former Home Minister, Badri Tiwari and Janak Bhatt, suggesting possible illegal financial transactions among them.

The CIAA’s submissions to the Special Court stated, “Separate investigations are ongoing concerning the mentioned distinct issues, events, timelines, and defendants.” According to CIAA sources, as the probe proceeded, no evidence was found to suggest that former Home Minister Lekhak or Home Secretary Duwaadi benefited from or accepted bribes from Bhattarai. Consequently, the commission concluded that no charges would be filed against them.

A source commented, “No evidence was uncovered. Without evidence, how can charges be pursued?”