Kathmandu, June 6: The government is preparing to reappoint former Home Minister Sudhan Gurung after an investigation committee reportedly found no wrongdoing in allegations related to his assets.
Gurung resigned as home minister on April 22 after it emerged that he had previously held shares in a company linked to controversial businessman Deepak Bhatt. Thursday marked 44 days since his resignation.
A committee formed to investigate Gurung’s assets has submitted its report to Prime Minister Balen Shah. The panel, led by Achyut Prasad Bhandari, reportedly concluded that the share transactions had been conducted legally before Gurung assumed office and that no evidence of misconduct was found.
The Home Ministry portfolio has remained under Prime Minister Shah’s direct charge since Gurung stepped down. Political observers have interpreted the decision not to appoint a replacement as a sign that the government intends to return Gurung to the post once the probe is formally concluded.
Sources said the committee prepared a 45-page report after examining Gurung’s financial records and taking his statement. The panel was formed on May 11.
Following the Janardan Sharma Precedent
The government’s approach resembles the case of former finance minister Janardan Sharma, who resigned in July 2022 after allegations that unauthorized individuals had influenced tax rates during budget preparation.
An 11-member parliamentary committee later found no evidence to support the allegations. Two days after the report was submitted, Sharma was reappointed finance minister by then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Deuba had retained the Finance Ministry portfolio himself during the investigation period.
Sharma returned to office 25 days after his resignation.
Government sources say a similar strategy is now being followed for Gurung. With the Home Ministry remaining vacant for more than six weeks, speculation has grown that he will soon be reinstated.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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