Former finance minister and UML leader Bishnu Paudel has been remanded in custody for several days as part of a high-profile money laundering investigation, marking a notable escalation in one of the country’s most closely watched corruption inquiries. The leader, arrested over the weekend, appeared before the Special Court in a hearing that was opened to public view.
Investigators are examining alleged suspicious financial dealings connected to a businessman already under scrutiny. The court’s decision to extend the detention gives authorities additional time to pursue the inquiry.
The case stands out for how far up the political establishment it reaches. As one of the most prominent leaders to be taken into custody in such an investigation, the proceedings are widely seen as a test of how far the probe is willing to go.