KATHMANDU, June 4: The Supreme Court (SC) has overturned the decision of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to direct an investigation into Kunda Dixit and Kanak Mani Dixit, the owners of Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya and Himal Media.
A division bench of Justices Kumar Chudal and Saranga Subedi on Sunday reversed the decision of the Revenue Investigation Department to investigate the Dixit duo and barred the Land Reform Office to proceed with the land confiscation process of Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya.
Following the CIAA's instructions, the Revenue Investigation Department and the Land Reform Office began investigating the Dixit family and the Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya. The SC has passed a decision in favor of the Dixit family in response to three separate writ petitions.
However, the contempt case filed by Shanta Dixit against the former CIAA Chief Commissioner Lokman Singh Karki and then Senior Superintendent of Police Yogeshwar Romkhami has been quashed.
Due to political vendetta, the former head of the anti-graft body, Karki, had directed the Revenue Investigation Department to investigate the Dixit family. Karki had instructed action on the grounds that Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya was holding more land than allowed.
Since November 2015, Karki had instructed various state agencies to investigate the Dixit family. The CIAA also arrested Kanak Mani Dixit, who was the chairman of Sajha Yatayat at that time. He was freed from prison after the SC issued a habeas corpus order.
Following this decision by the SC, the authorities' efforts to investigate the allegations of revenue leakage against the Dixit family have failed. At that time, the CIAA had instructed the prosecution of a case of revenue leakage on the charge of keeping funds abroad.
Similarly, the Land Reforms Office in Lalitpur had tried to confiscate the land belonging to Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya on the charge of holding land beyond the ceiling. The SC has also annulled the decision of the Land Reforms Office and ordered the release of the land held by Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya.