Officials at the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) today staged protest against the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which has dragged Governor Bijay Nath Bhattarai to the court accusing him of massive financial irregularities.

A group of NRB officials demonstrated in front of the CIAA headquarters at Bishalnagar, chanting slogans against what they called biased action of the anti-graft agency against Governor Bhattarai and NRB Director Surendra Man Pradhan. They said the CIAA’s move had “demoralised dedicated officials” at the central bank.

Similarly, officials at the NRB branch office in Thapathali stopped works for some time in the morning to protest the CIAA action.

Accusing them of massive embezzlement in the Rs 195 million Financial Sector Reform Programme launched with foreign aid, the CIAA filed corruption cases against Governor Bhattarai and Director Pradhan at the Special Court on Friday. The anti-corruption agency has demanded Rs 2.4 million penalty from the two.

With the CIAA lodging a corruption case against him, Bhattarai has been suspended from his post.