Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 3:The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today asked the Home Ministry to suspend Chief District Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police of Sarlahi district.

The constitutional anti-corruption watchdog asked the Ministry to suspend CDO Keshav Raj Ghimire and DSP Arun Kumar Singh, both the administrative and security heads of the district for their alleged involvement in timber smuggling.

The CIAA stated that the duo had ignored the information about massive felling down of the trees planted by the government in both sides of the Manusmara irrigation canals nearly two decades ago.

In its letter sent to the Ministry, CIAA stated that allowing both the officials to stay in the office creates possibility of destruction of proofs against them and hinder the probe process.

According to the CIAA sources, a team of CIAA had visited the site where green timbers were cut down and smuggled to India within a span of two months last winter in coordination of the government officials and the local consumers’ groups.

The CIAA had interrogated the local consumers’ groups and forest office officials too for three months but whether it has taken any action against them is still unclear.