Kathmandu, Oct. 8: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has taken legal action against seven individuals for alleged corruption related to the snake breeding program at the Jhalanath Khanal Institute of Health Sciences.

On Sunday, the CIAA filed a corruption case at the Special Court in Kathmandu, targeting a group of individuals that includes Bijay Kumar Yadav, a former Finance Minister of Madhesh Province. Other defendants named in the case are Man Bahadur Khadka, the former Mayor of Lalbandi Municipality, Prem Kumar Shrestha, the former Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning of Madhesh Province, as well as key officials of the Jhalanath Khanal Institute of Health Sciences, including Chairman Rewati Prasad Panta, General Secretary Nawaraj Bhandari, Treasurer Niraj Bhandari, and member Devendra Rai.

The CIAA has alleged that these individuals were involved in corrupt practices that resulted in a loss of Rs 179.8 million in public funds. Consequently, the CIAA is seeking to recover this amount from the accused.