Why is CIB chief Bajcharya being removed?

KATHMANDU, March 15: The team investigating the Suryadarshan Cooperative scam is about to be removed from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.

While an investigation is being conducted against GB Rai, the business partner of Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, the team working on the investigation along with Chief AIG Kiran Bajcharya of CIB is about to be removed.

After the victims of Pokhara's Suryadarshan Cooperative Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization filed a complaint, Nepal Police started an investigation against the chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Rabi Lamichhane. After receiving the 'green signal' from Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the investigation was started against Lamichhane, who is also a former director of Galaxy TV. The CIB of Nepal Police is also investigating the matter.

The then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha called CIB Chief AIG Kiran Bajracharya to the ministry and instructed them to start investigating Lamichhane as well.

According to CIB sources, AIG Bajracharya initially consulted with the secretary and high-ranking staff of the Prime Minister's Office. After that she also consulted with Prime Minister Dahal. “This investigation was started after a discussion with the Prime Minister. The CIB is engaged in the investigation to get the results,'' the source said.

Regarding the Suryadarshan cooperative fraud case, the cooperative victims filed a supplementary application on February 5. After that, both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have increased interest in it. While the case related to the fraud case of Suryadarshan Cooperative was pending in the District Court, Kaski, a complaint against the fraud was also filed in the police. Earlier, last August, a complaint was filed with the police.

Home Minister Lamichhane himself has been implicated in the cooperative fraud case. Sources said that when questions were raised about him both in parliament and on the streets, the CIB’s cooperative fraud investigation team was accused in a gold smuggling case. "The Home Minister wanted to remove the CIB chief on Thursday. After meeting with the Prime Minister this morning, he has given instructions to the IGP to remove AIG Bajracharya. Perhaps she will return to the police headquarters now," a source at the police headquarters said.

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