Nepal Minister Rajkumar Gupta Resigns Amid Bribery Scandal

The political landscape in Nepal witnessed a significant upheaval as Rajkumar Gupta, the Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister, announced his resignation amid a multi-million bribery scandal.

The move follows media circulation of an audio recording where Gupta is allegedly heard negotiating bribes concerning government personnel transfers and appointments. The scandal further intensified with the submission of a complaint to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), complete with photos showing two bags purportedly containing bribery money.

Denying the charges, Gupta defended himself, stating that he is a victim of false allegations. He cited his resignation, submitted to Prime Minister K.P. Oli, as a step towards enabling a thorough investigation. This development has triggered reactions from lawmakers across the political spectrum, who had called for his resignation post the audio leak.

(With inputs from agencies.)