KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has launched a sweeping investigation into a massive illegal timber auction scandal involving over Rs 1.03 billion worth of timber in Sudurpaschim Province.

On Tuesday, a team deployed from the CIAA’s Kanchanpur office simultaneously raided both the Dhangadhi and Pahalmanpur Division Forest Offices, seizing official documents and auction files.

According to CIAA Spokesperson Suresh Neupane, the anti-graft body intervened after discovering that more than 3.45 million cubic feet of timber—valued at Rs 1.037 billion—had been illegally felled and auctioned off in direct violation of state regulations.

The illegal scheme came to light following formal complaints alleging a widespread collusion network.

Key figures implicated in the nexus include Ram Bichari Thakur, Head of the Dhangadhi Division Forest Office; Janak Padhya, Senior Divisional Forest Officer at Pahalmanpur; Hemraj Bista, Director of the Forest Directorate; alongside select local senegalia catechu industrialists, timber traders, and leaders of various Community Forest User Committees.

Preliminary findings show that forest officials coerced experts into issuing fraudulent technical reports claiming healthy, standing catechu trees were infested with pests, thereby fabricating a legal pretext to fell, log, stack, and auction high-value trees that should have remained protected.

The illicit sales spanned multiple local forestry divisions across Kailali and Kanchanpur.

Under the Pahalmanpur division, approximately 123,000 cubic feet of timber was auctioned off from nine community forests, including Chhatyun, Mohanyal, Jagatpur, Sadepani, Mainapokhari, Shivashakti, Gatishil, Janata, and Ghodaghodi.