Sudhan Gurung to return as Nepal’s Home Minister after 47 days

Kathmandu – Former Home Minister Sudhan Gurung, who resigned 26 days after assuming office, is set to return as Home Minister on Tuesday.

Gurung, who resigned from the post on Baisakh 9, will take up the responsibility again 47 days later on Tuesday.

Preparations are underway for his swearing-in ceremony, which is expected to take place shortly.

Gurung had faced controversy after his name was linked with the contentious businessman Deepak Bhatt. Questions arose regarding Gurung’s involvement in the purchase of shares in Liberty Micro Insurance and Star Micro Insurance, companies associated with Bhatt, who is currently detained by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. This led to mounting pressure for Gurung to resign.

Following widespread criticism, Gurung resigned from the position of Home Minister on Baisakh 9, after serving for 26 days.

To investigate the matter, the Cabinet meeting on Baisakh 28 formed a three-member committee chaired by former High Court Judge Achyut Prasad Bhandari. The committee included Auditor General Shobhakant Paudel and Deputy Attorney General Achyutmani Neupane. The committee was tasked with conducting a factual study and investigation into the public allegations against Gurung and submitting a report within 15 days. The deadline was later extended by an additional five days due to time constraints.

The investigation committee, after its study, cleared Gurung of any wrongdoing.

The 45-page report submitted by the committee deemed all of Gurung’s movable and immovable assets as ‘legitimate’. The report attributed the discrepancies in asset details to ‘the state’s weak system’ rather than individual fault, paving the way for Gurung’s return to the Home Ministry.