KATHMANDU, March 25: A Special Court has ordered the release of former Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) Director General Jhalakram Adhikari on a bail of Rs 2.5 million, in a high-profile bribery and money laundering case.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a case against Adhikari, accusing him of accepting Rs 7 million in bribes. On Tuesday, a bench comprising Judges Sudarshan Dev Bhatta, Hemant Rawal and Umesh Koirala directed that he be released on bail.
The court noted that the land allegedly purchased with the bribe money—plot number 998—was already frozen, and that depositing Rs 2.5 million as bail was sufficient. The order stated: “During evidence examination, proceedings will continue as per law. The accused may be released on cash bail of Rs 2.5 million or an equivalent bank guarantee and produced in court for trial proceedings.”
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Adhikari was present during the hearing, where his lawyers, Apurba Khatiwoda and Yogeshwar Bhandari, argued against remanding him in custody.
The CIAA filed the case on March 15 against Adhikari and three others, alleging that he accepted Rs 7 million from Shreekrishna Shrestha Bijyu, director of HK Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, to facilitate revenue leakage investigations.
Adhikari, who had previously avoided scrutiny in a 60-kg gold smuggling case, is now facing serious allegations of bribery and money laundering. Investigations reveal that he routed the bribe through multiple bank accounts to repay loans and purchase land, an action that prompted the special court proceedings.
According to the charge sheet, Adhikari had secured his position as DG of DoRI during the tenure of then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, reportedly leveraging influence at Budhanilkantha and Baluwatar. The CIAA claims the bribe deal was negotiated within a month of his appointment.
The investigation shows that Adhikari initially used Rs 2 million of the bribe to repay loans. On August 9, 2022, Shrestha provided the amount via three checks. The CIAA alleges that out of the Rs 7 million, he received Rs 700,000 in the name of Mamata Puri, Rs 600,000 in Mission Lamichhane’s name, and Rs 700,000 in Devraj Aryal’s name. The checks were deposited into Lumbini Bikas Bank by Aryal, an employee of The Kuti Resort, where Adhikari also reportedly holds shares. The funds were allegedly used to repay the resort’s overdraft and fixed-term loans.
Further, on August 12, 2022, Adhikari allegedly received another Rs 5 million from Shrestha via a check in the name of Bikash Kumar Chapagain, who deposited it into his Laxmi Bank account. This sum was reportedly used to purchase 164.14 square meters of land at Divyashwori Project, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-17, Bhaktapur.
The CIAA claims Adhikari attempted to legalize the entire Rs 7 million by routing it through Global IME Bank, Lumbini Bikas Bank, and Laxmi Sunrise Bank.
Despite his previous implication in the gold smuggling case, Adhikari had continued to hold government responsibilities. Following exposure of the smuggling deal, he was suspended from duty on August 24, 2023, then transferred to the Nepal Trust office, and later reinstated in February 2024.
