Complaint alleging increased movement of ‘apple boxes’ led to raids

Kathmandu, October 8

A complaint alleging that “apple boxes” were increasingly being used to transport bribes led the Department of Money Laundering Investigation to conduct searches at the residences of former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and several people close to him, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The department’s special team searched the residences of Rana in Bansbari, his brother Prabhu Shumsher Rana in Mandikhatar, former High Court judge Navaraj Thapaliya in Ranibari, Narayan Dahal in Dhumbarahi, Deepak Timalsena nearby, and Navin Basnet in Bhaktapur.

The department seized documents, electronic devices and other materials from the residences, according to sources.

Officials said Basnet’s residence was searched on the same day by coincidence and that his investigation is unrelated to his association with Rana.

Prabhu Shumsher is the former chief justice’s brother. Thapaliya, who was dismissed as a High Court judge over conduct-related issues in February 2024, is considered close to both Rana and current Chief Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma.

Dahal, who runs Barnan monthly magazine, has long been known in Supreme Court circles for his interest in cases pending before the court and for maintaining contacts with people involved in judicial matters.

Timalsena, who built his career in the Supreme Court’s information technology sector, was recommended for a ministerial position during the Sher Bahadur Deuba government when Rana was chief justice. He has since been involved in the telecommunications sector.

According to a source at the Prime Minister’s Office, the investigation into Rana’s contacts began after security concerns surrounding the former chief justice led authorities to examine his interactions with various intermediaries and other individuals.

Rana was taken into police custody at midnight on September 26 citing security concerns. A few days later, police arrested Inam Sapkota in Jhapa.

Government agencies investigating phone communications involving Rana and Sapkota subsequently provided information and correspondence to the government. Following this, Armed Police Force AIG Banshiraj Dahal was suspended and an investigation was launched against him.

The money laundering department subsequently expanded its investigation and searched the residences of several individuals, according to department sources.

The teams were deployed around noon on Wednesday and remained at the residences until the afternoon. The searches resulted in the seizure of documents, electronic gadgets and other materials.

A department source said some materials expected to be obtained from Rana had already been collected, with Wednesday’s search being conducted partly as a formal procedure.

Complaint over ‘apple boxes’

According to sources, the department received a complaint through the government’s Hello Sarkar grievance mechanism alleging that “apple boxes” were being used to transport bribes.

The term “apple boxes” was reportedly used symbolically by complainants to refer to cartons commonly used to transport apples and other fruits. The complainants alleged that such cartons were being used to carry bribes because they are relatively sturdy and less likely to be damaged by minor external impacts.

The department gathered additional information while examining the complaint. Sources said the searches were carried out after investigators received further information indicating that the movement of such boxes had increased.

“The complaint contained details of several incidents involving the transportation of bribes in apple boxes,” a department source said.

The source claimed that the searches were conducted after the department collected additional information and obtained agreement from the team at Prime Minister Balen Shah’s office.

Rana-Thapaliya connection

Thapaliya had remained largely inactive after being dismissed as a High Court judge in February 2024. However, according to sources, he became active again following the appointment of Manoj Kumar Sharma as chief justice.

Sources said information about Thapaliya’s renewed activities reached the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Thapaliya is known to have a close relationship with former Chief Justice Rana. Sources at the Supreme Court claimed that he had recently increased his meetings with people involved in cases pending before the court.

According to the sources, Thapaliya also had access to senior judicial administration officials and some Supreme Court judges.

The Nepal Bar Association had previously raised questions about the relationship between Rana, Sharma and Thapaliya during the parliamentary investigation into Rana.

In a memorandum submitted to the Federal Parliament Secretariat in March 2023, the Bar Association referred to alleged communications between Sharma and Thapaliya concerning efforts to influence case decisions through Rana. The Bar had requested that call details and communications involving the judges concerned be examined.

According to Supreme Court sources, a complaint filed through Hello Sarkar alleged that Rana and Thapaliya had again become active in a similar manner and that their activities were beginning to have an impact on cases at the Supreme Court and other courts.

The complaint was subsequently forwarded to the Department of Money Laundering Investigation and reportedly included details of several cases.

The department has also begun investigating the assets of Rana and his brother Prabhu Shumsher. Rana had previously acknowledged as his own certain land purchased by his brother and loans taken against the property.

Dahal, Timalsena and Basnet

Dahal has faced allegations of taking an interest in court cases and using such connections to gain access to judges. He became particularly active during the tenures of former chief justices Ram Kumar Prasad Shah and Damodar Sharma, according to sources.

His activities around the courts were later discouraged during the tenure of Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha and continued to be restricted during Sushila Karki’s tenure.

Dahal became active again during the tenure of Chief Justice Dipak Raj Joshee but was subsequently less visible in court-related matters.

The department had increased its monitoring of Dahal following correspondence from the Prime Minister’s Office, according to sources.

Timalsena, who had risen through the Supreme Court’s IT section, left the court after becoming embroiled in a dispute over equipment procurement during Kalyan Shrestha’s tenure. He subsequently continued working in the information technology sector outside the court.

Timalsena had appeared before the Parliamentary Hearing Committee when Rana was being considered for chief justice. He was later reportedly being prepared for appointment as a minister in the Deuba government on Rana’s recommendation, but the appointment was halted after questions were raised by various political leaders.

A few weeks after Timalsena’s proposed appointment was halted, Gajendra Bahadur Hamal was appointed Industry Minister in October 2021.

After learning that the department’s team had arrived at his residence, Timalsena himself went to the department’s office in Pulchowk. A department source said he was warned that he could be arrested and charged with misconduct if he obstructed the investigation, after which he left the office.

No one whose residence was searched has been arrested so far, according to the department.

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