Kathmandu – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has confirmed that it is investigating outgoing Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in connection with alleged corruption and illegal financial dealings uncovered in the visit visa scandal at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
According to the chargesheet filed at the Special Court, the CIAA is probing whether illegal transactions took place involving the then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, former Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, the former Director General of the Immigration Department, and Ramchandra Tiwari, the then Chief of the Peace and Security Division. Investigators suspect that politically protected “settings” may have been used to facilitate the illegal departure of individuals on visit visas.
Investigation Extends Deep into Home Ministry Structure
The CIAA has stated that its inquiry now covers:
- The head of the administration division at the Ministry of Home Affairs
- Branch chiefs within the ministry
- The Home Minister’s private secretary, Badri Tiwari
- His personal secretary, Janak Bhatta
- Staff within the Home Secretary’s secretariat
- Several officials from the Immigration Department
Sources within the CIAA say these individuals appear in call detail records and diary entries recovered from Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai, the former Chief of TIA Immigration, who was arrested earlier in connection with the case.
Diary and Call Records Point to “Unusual Contacts”
During the investigation, CIAA officers seized Bhattarai’s personal diary and analysed his call detail records (CDRs). The analysis reportedly revealed “unnatural contact” and repeated communication between Bhattarai and senior ministry officials.
The CIAA has informed the Special Court that:
- Multiple officials came into “unnatural or irregular contact” with Bhattarai
- Call records show sustained communication patterns requiring further investigation
- These contacts may be linked to the illegal clearance of passengers travelling abroad on visit visas
- The chargesheet notes that separate investigations are underway covering different incidents, timelines, and individuals implicated in the case.
- Private and Personal Secretaries Also Under Scrutiny
In addition to Lekhak himself, both his private secretary Badri Tiwari and personal secretary Janak Bhatta are subjects of a parallel inquiry. The CIAA suspects they may have played roles in facilitating or protecting the visit-visa racket inside airport immigration.
CIAA officials told the court that “suspicious activity was detected” when examining Bhattarai’s communication records, prompting a deeper probe into the Home Minister’s secretariat and senior administrative units.
Broader Investigation Continues
Authorities say the ongoing inquiry aims to determine the extent of political protection received by the immigration extortion network—considered one of the largest organized corruption cases in recent years.
The CIAA has indicated that further statements, arrests, and supplementary charges may follow as investigators piece together the movement of money, communication trails, and administrative decisions linked to the case.
