Details showing contact and transactions involving detained intermediary Inam Sapkota , Supreme Court Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma and Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal have become public. Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Bishwaraj Pokharel has also been linked to the controversy in the published material. Details of a conversation between fixer Sapkota and sitting Justice Phuyal concern a case pending at the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, Naya Patrika published details of a conversation between Phuyal and Sapkota, including their WhatsApp messages. The exchange reportedly begins with Sapkota sending the justice a screenshot of Rohit Gupta’s habeas corpus petition. He then sends a “Good morning” message, followed by: “Please stop this, sir. The prime minister is also interested in this matter. Please dismiss it.” Sapkota then calls Phuyal on WhatsApp.
After missing the call, Phuyal sends a reply. Responding to Sapkota’s missed call, Justice Phuyal writes: “I saw this late. There were grounds to release him (Rohit Gupta). We have asked him to post Rs20 million in bail. Golchha (Shekhar Golchha) was asked to post Rs10 million.” Phuyal also sends Sapkota a link to the Supreme Court website showing the order to release Gupta on bail. He then proposes meeting at the Himalayan Hotel the following day. Sapkota replies, “Okay.”
The case had reached the Supreme Court from the Special Court. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation had filed a case at the Special Court against the group led by alleged fixer Deepak Bhatta. On August 13, the Special Court ordered Gupta to be held in custody pending trial. A habeas corpus petition was subsequently filed at the Supreme Court. Overturning the Special Court’s decision, a joint bench of Phuyal and another justice, Shrikant Poudel, ordered Gupta’s release on bail on September 2.
Supreme Court justices contacted on Thursday morning after the details became public acknowledged that Phuyal had spoken to Sapkota. However, they said they could not comment on alleged financial transactions without evidence. “The Supreme Court’s joint bench does not appear to have dismissed the petition as Sapkota had requested. Since the court ordered Rs20 million in bail, Phuyal does not appear to have acted as Sapkota wanted,” a justice said. “But the published details clearly show that the controversial figure Sapkota was in contact with Justice Phuyal.”
As details of the conversation between Phuyal and Sapkota emerged, another document purportedly showing money deposited in the name of Chief Justice Sharma also became public. According to material circulated on social media, alleged bribe payments appear to have been recorded in the names of Sharma and RSP lawmaker and former Nepal Police AIG Bishwaraj Pokharel in bank accounts in the United States and Nepal. The records list a total amount of 198,333 across three months: January, November and December.
Below the amount, the names Manoj Kumar Sharma, identified as chief justice; Bishwaraj Pokharel, an MP elected from Okhaldhunga and a former Nepal Police AIG; and Banshi Raj Dahal, an Armed Police Force AIG, are listed. The government has already dismissed Dahal from service over allegations that he shared information with Sapkota. Dahal had visited former chief justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana late at night when Rana was taken into custody and brought to the Valley Crime Investigation Office.
The documents reportedly instruct that the money be deposited into a Bank of America account held by Nirajan Pandey, a relative of Sapkota living in the United States. The account number is also provided. The message sent by Inam instructing the transfer reportedly offers an alternative for deposits in Nepal: an account at Sanima Bank held by his wife, Kabita Pandey. The message also appears to bear the official seal of the Nepal Police’s Crime Investigation Department digital forensic lab.
Following the publication of these details, justices have once again come under scrutiny, with the disclosures also creating a stir elsewhere. Neither of the two justices has issued a response so far. Fixer Sapkota remains in custody. Both sets of details appear to have emerged after investigators took control of Sapkota’s mobile phone. Controversies within the judiciary have mounted since police took former chief justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana from his home on September 27, saying they were providing him security. Intermediary Inam Sapkota was also arrested on September 27. Police are investigating communications between Sapkota and senior officials.
Investigators have found that Sapkota, who was previously considered an ordinary individual, had exchanged messages with senior Nepal Police officials, several sitting and former judges, politicians and lawyers. He has since been kept in custody as the investigation continues. After investigators traced his contacts with detained businessman Deepak Bhatta and Sulav Agrawal, Sapkota was detained at Tribhuvan International Airport while preparing to travel to India, on allegations of attempting to influence cases.
Durga Dulal is a journalist associated with Kantipur Daily, covering law, justice, and constitutional affairs.
