KATHMANDU, June 8: A government-appointed committee has cleared former Home Minister Sudhan Gurung of allegations surrounding his assets, paving the way for his possible return to the ministry.
Gurung resigned from office after controversy erupted over his publicly disclosed property details. A three-member investigation panel led by former High Court judge Achyut Prasad Bhandari concluded that the allegations against him could not be substantiated after reviewing his shares, bank records, and other assets.
The committee’s 45-page report declared all of Gurung’s movable and immovable assets lawful. It attributed discrepancies in property records to weaknesses in state systems rather than deliberate wrongdoing by Gurung.
One of the most debated issues involved 89 tolas of gold listed in his assets. The committee accepted Gurung’s claim that the gold was ancestral property. Investigators found no bank transactions indicating its purchase and concluded it had long been held by the family.
The report also dismissed allegations that Gurung had a business partnership with controversial businessman Deepak Bhatt. According to the committee, documents showed Gurung had taken loans to purchase insurance company shares, while his relationship with Bhatt was limited to acquaintance. It said acquaintance alone could not be taken as evidence of a business partnership.
Questions had also been raised about Rs 5 million reportedly received from abroad during the “Gen Z” movement. The committee found that the funds entered through formal banking channels and were used for personal expenses, concluding that the transactions were legitimate.
Rather than identifying misconduct by Gurung, the committee highlighted shortcomings in government systems. It cited practices such as undervaluation of land during registration and inconsistencies in asset declarations as broader administrative problems that affect many citizens, not just Gurung.
The panel recommended reforms to land valuation procedures and gold tracking mechanisms. It also advised the government not to pursue legal action over minor discrepancies in asset declarations, describing them as common administrative errors.
The committee was formed by a Cabinet decision on April 28 and included Auditor General’s Office official Shobhakanta Paudel and Deputy Attorney General Achyut Mani Neupane.
Gurung came under pressure after reports linked him to share purchases in Liberty Micro Insurance and Star Micro Insurance, companies associated with Bhatt, who is currently in custody in a money laundering investigation.
Gurung maintained that he had borrowed money to buy shares worth about Rs 5 million. Amid growing criticism, he resigned as home minister on April 9 after serving just 26 days in office.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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