KATHMANDU: A corruption case has been filed against former Prime Minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal in connection with the controversial land deal involving Patanjali Yogpeeth.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Thursday filed the case at the Special Court against Nepal and several other individuals implicated in the alleged misappropriation of land.

Nepal has been implicated along with 93 others. The case against Nepal demands a fine and punishment, with a claim for damages amounting to Rs. 185.85 million. For the other defendants, the claimed damage amounts vary.

The charges stem from a Cabinet decision made during Madhav Kumar Nepal’s tenure as Prime Minister, which granted Patanjali Yogpeeth special permission to purchase 815 ropani of land in Bancha village of Kavrepalanchok district.

Patanjali, a prominent Indian organization known for promoting Ayurvedic medicine, had registered a subsidiary in Nepal in 2007 (2064 B.S.) with plans to build a hospital, herbal farm, and educational facilities.

Under Nepal’s land ceiling laws, private companies are generally barred from owning such large tracts of land. However, the Cabinet, led by Nepal at the time, granted Patanjali an exemption on the condition that the land would be used exclusively for medicinal and educational purposes.

Investigations revealed that Patanjali began selling parts of the acquired land soon after the purchase—some reportedly within months—violating the Land Act of 1964 (2021 B.S.), which explicitly prohibits the sale of land obtained under such special exemptions.

The Cabinet decision had also specified that any funds from the sale of such land must be reinvested into acquiring other land for the same purpose, a condition Patanjali allegedly ignored.

CIAA’s case accuses the defendants of abusing authority, violating existing land laws, and causing financial loss to the state by facilitating and failing to prevent the illegal transfer and sale of land.