Authorities in Nepal have launched an investigation into the assets of three former prime ministers following a directive from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. The probe targets Sher Bahadur Deuba, KP Sharma Oli, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has begun examining both movable and immovable properties, along with sources of income linked to the three leaders. The investigation follows earlier findings of burnt cash recovered from houses damaged during the September 24 Gen Z protests. Fragments of both Nepali and foreign currency were reportedly found at the residences of Deuba and Dahal.
As part of the probe, former minister Deepak Khadka has been taken into custody. Authorities are preparing to seek court approval to extend his detention for further investigation. Officials say Khadka is being questioned in connection with the same case after similar burnt cash was discovered at his residence.
Police have also halted the demolition of Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha, where reconstruction work had begun after the fire damage. The local administration stepped in to preserve the site as part of the ongoing investigation. Workers at the site have been removed, and the area remains under observation.
The recovered cash had been collected earlier by the money laundering department and is now being examined as part of a broader effort to trace financial irregularities.
The investigation marks a significant development, bringing some of Nepal’s most prominent political figures under scrutiny as authorities attempt to trace the origins of suspicious assets linked to the unrest.