Kathmandu, Oct 30: Senior officials in the security agencies and judiciary have been forced to issue explanations one after another after their names were linked to a controversial individual.
The alleged links with Inam Sapkota, described as a notorious middleman, have drawn in Nepal Police chief Dan Bahadur Karki, the chief justice and other Supreme Court justices. This has triggered a series of statements and denials. Yet questions remain over what actually happened, as conflicting claims and rebuttals continue to emerge.
Reports linking Inspector General of Police Karki to Sapkota had surfaced several days earlier. Some reports claimed that the government had asked Karki to resign after details of WhatsApp communications between the two became public. Other reports said Prime Minister Balen Shah’s secretariat was preparing to dismiss him if he refused to step down.
Police took Sapkota into custody at Tribhuvan International Airport on October 1. He was arrested after his links with former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and businessman Deepak Bhatt, who is currently in prison, came to light. An investigation into Sapkota is ongoing, with new details about his connections emerging as the probe progresses.
While reports about his contact with IGP Karki were already circulating, another startling claim emerged on Thursday. Some media outlets reported that Sapkota had also been in contact with Supreme Court justices.
The reports alleged that money had been deposited in the name of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma and that Sapkota had exchanged messages with Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal about a case pending before the Supreme Court.
Following the publication of these details, the individuals concerned began issuing denials and clarifications. The conflicting statements have raised further questions about whose account should be believed and what the facts actually are.
So far, Nepal Police, the Nepal Bar Association, the chief justice, two Supreme Court justices and lawmaker Bishwaraj Pokharel, among others, have issued statements seeking to distance themselves from the controversy.
Meanwhile, Nepal Police has claimed that misleading information is being deliberately circulated to damage the organisation’s reputation, professionalism and performance.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the police also warned that it would initiate investigations and legal action under existing laws against those spreading misinformation.
The press statement issued by the secretariat of the Inspector General of Police at the Police Headquarters said the organisation was alert to the manoeuvres of a small group of individuals who believe they can use controversy surrounding the security agency to pursue political games against the government.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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