KATHMANDU: The Special Court has ordered the former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Sanjiv Gautam, to be sent to judicial custody for trial over alleged corruption in the Pokhara Regional International Airport project.

The order was issued on Tuesday by a joint bench of judges Narayan Prasad Paudel, Hemanta Rawal, and Dilli Ratna Shrestha.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) accused Gautam of inflating consulting costs under an EPC contract to Rs 503.4 million, causing a loss of Rs 89.5 million to CAAN.

While Gautam denied all embezzlement charges, the court ordered his remand under the Special Court Act, 2002, citing preliminary evidence and his executive role at the time.