Former Finance Minister Vishnu Paudel Released on General Date

A special court has ordered the release of former Finance Minister Vishnu Paudel on a general date.

The court, comprising members Narayan Prasad Paudel, Diliratna Shrestha, and Vidur Koirala, made the decision based on three grounds: Paudel’s involvement was not evident from the available evidence, he had denied the allegations, and there was no evidence of him gaining any financial benefits or assets from Deepak Bhatt.

Paudel was taken into custody by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation on 23rd Ashar. He was accused of playing a role in handing over shares of Shree Ram Tobacco to Deepak Bhatt during his tenure as Finance Minister.

During his statement at the special court, Paudel denied any involvement in the matter, stating that he had not played any role in handing over the shares and had not facilitated the sale or pricing of the shares.

The special court also noted that Paudel’s bank account showed a total balance of Rs 634,000, but there was no evidence of him benefiting from the share transactions. The court also stated that Paudel had not facilitated the share transactions and no evidence of his involvement was found.

The special court also pointed out that Paudel was not the Finance Minister at the time of the share transfer.

The three-member bench of the special court cited Section 7(g) of the Special Court Act, 2059, which states that the court can release a defendant on a general date if necessary.

The court’s order stated, ‘The defendant Vishnu Prasad Paudel shall be released on a general date, subject to the production of evidence during the trial.’

Paudel’s investigation had been extended several times, with the deadline being extended repeatedly.