Kathmandu, June 5: Secretary Dr. Krishna Hari Pushkar, who serves as secretary to Prime Minister Balen, was briefly detained and questioned by police on Thursday after reportedly sending messages to the prime minister seeking personal benefits.
A team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku took Pushkar into custody for questioning on Thursday afternoon. Police acted on instructions from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Authorities have not officially disclosed the specific offense for which he was questioned. However, sources said Pushkar had directly messaged Prime Minister Balen seeking a political appointment.
According to the source, Pushkar expressed interest in securing a position in a constitutional body or another influential post as his retirement approaches. “He sent the message hoping to obtain an appointment to a constitutional body or another benefit bearing position after the end of his service tenure,” the source said.
Pushkar, who is currently serving at the Office of the Vice President, is scheduled to retire on July 9, 2026. Sources claim he had been looking for a political appointment after retirement.
Police released him later the same evening after finding no grounds for filing a case. “Following instructions from higher authorities, he was questioned regarding certain matters and then released,” a source told Onlinekhabar.
After then Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal retired on November 25, 2025, Pushkar had also sought consideration for the post of chief secretary. However, the government appointed Suman Raj Aryal instead.
Senior government officials in Nepal have often used their direct access to influential political leaders to secure post retirement appointments, including ambassadorships and positions in constitutional bodies. The current government has been revoking political appointments made by previous administrations and has begun a new process to fill such positions.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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