LRO attaches land above ceiling owned by Dixit family

Kathmandu / Aug. 03: Land Reform Office, Lalitpur today decided to attach 18 ropanis 9 anas and 1 paisa land owned by Kamal Mani Dixit, his family members and some entities.

According to Ratna Man Udas, spokesperson for Land Reform Office, Lalitpur, his office took a decision to this effect after concluding that the land in question was above the ceiling.

He said his office would prepare a full verdict tomorrow and the defendants would have 35 days to file an appeal against the verdict.

The time to file an appeal would start from the day the defendants would receive a copy of the verdict, said Land Reform Officer of Lalitpur, Shanti Raj Prasai.

The land plots that were ordered to be attached includes the land owned by the Dixit family, Hotel Oasis, Jagadamba Press and Madan Puraskar Guthi, said Udas.

Prasai said his office, after weighing the evidences, reached a conclusion that the land plots in question were above the ceiling but if the defendants filed appeals against the verdict, the court would make a final judgment.

Land Reform Office had launched an investigation into the allegation against Dixit family and other defendants of possessing land above the ceiling after Land Reform Department wrote to it for the same a few weeks ago.

Prior to that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had written to the government telling it to initiate the process to attach ‘above the ceiling land plots that Dixit family and other defendants allegedly possessed.’

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today issued an ex parte interim order on the writ of certiorari filed on behalf of Kanak Mani Dixit against Ministry of Land Reform and Management, et al.

A single bench of Justice Hari Krishna Karki passed the order.

The court also decided to summon both the parties to discuss whether or not to continue the interim order, according to Assistant Spokesperson for the Supreme Court Bishwa Raj Paudel.

The date for next hearing in the case has not been fixed yet.

According to Paudel, the writ petitioner has stated in the writ that there should be no further action by Land Revenue Office and Land Reform Office against him and his family till the court takes a decision in the case he filed against the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.

Prasai said his office took the decision on the case at 1:50 pm today and his office had not received any order from the court till the evening.