KATHMANDU: A corruption case involving NPR 10.83 million has been filed against Dirgha Bahadur Sodari, the former Chief Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development of Sudurpashchim Province.

According to Rajendra Kumar Paudel, spokesperson for the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Sodari—who is currently a provincial assembly member—is accused of abusing his position to illegally amass assets.

The investigation covering the period from January 21, 2018, to February 22, 2023, found that Sodari’s declared income, including personal bank balances, salary savings, daily allowances, income from NGOs, and his wife’s salary savings, totaled approximately NPR 8.55 million.

However, his expenditures—such as land purchases, his daughter’s education, investments in Babi Masala Industry run by his wife, insurance premium payments, provincial election expenses, his son’s wedding, stock investments, and cash held in various banks and financial institutions—amounted to about NPR 19.39 million.

Since Sodari’s total expenses exceeded his income without verifiable sources, the CIAA has demanded penalties including fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of assets under Section 20(2) of the Corruption Control Act, 2059 (2002).