Feb 06, Kathmandu -  Pradeep Adhikari, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), who was arrested on charges of corruption related to the construction of the Nalinchok helipad, must remain in detention, the Supreme Court has ruled.

On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Special Court to keep Adhikari in custody during the investigation. A joint bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Shanti Singh Thapa concurred with the Special Court’s order.

Earlier, on Mangsir 21, the Special Court’s judges Hemant Rawal, Dilliratan Shrestha, and Bidur Koirala had ordered Adhikari’s detention. He had subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court on Paush 21 against this order.

The Anti-Corruption Commission had filed a case against Adhikari and six others, accusing them of embezzling NPR 135.7 million (approximately USD 1.1 million) in connection with the construction of the helipad at Nalinchok. The commission alleged that the corruption occurred without the submission of detailed study reports or completing other necessary procedures, violating established procurement protocols.

The accused include Adhikari, former Director Murari Bhandari, former Deputy General Manager and current Manager Bikram Thapa, former Senior Officer and current Deputy General Manager Sambriddhi Shrestha, Consultant Gurudatta Adhikari, and representatives of the consulting firm Biju Thapa and its management.

The case has attracted significant attention due to the involvement of high-ranking officials and allegations of financial misconduct in a major infrastructure project.