Opposition presses for probe into Home Ministry links, visa scam exposes deep-rooted corruption at Kathmandu airport
A political deadlock in Nepal’s federal parliament has now entered its third week, with sessions of the House of Representatives rendered dysfunctional amid mounting outrage over a “visit visa” scandal implicating top officials in the Home Ministry. The controversy has sparked daily disruptions led by opposition parties demanding accountability from Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, whose secretariat has been linked to an illegal immigration racket.
The uproar stems from an investigation by Nepal’s anti-graft body, the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which uncovered a wide-ranging network involved in the illegal facilitation of foreign travel through visit visas. The network reportedly includes high-ranking government officials, travel agencies, manpower companies, and immigration officers at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).
Opposition lawmakers have been obstructing parliamentary proceedings since May 27, originally demanding the resignation of Home Minister Lekhak. However, their position has since shifted, with most parties now calling for a high-level investigation—either through a parliamentary or judicial committee—to probe the affair. Despite numerous rounds of cross-party talks, consensus on the nature of the inquiry remains elusive.
House Speaker Devraj Ghimire has repeatedly urged MPs to allow the House to function. “Parliament is a place for deliberation on matters of national importance. I urge all standing members to return to their seats so that we can proceed in an orderly manner,” he said during Wednesday’s aborted session.
The CIAA’s investigation began with a tip-off about irregularities in the immigration department at TIA. Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai, recently appointed by Lekhak as Chief Immigration Officer, was found to have deployed significantly more staff than sanctioned. This overstaffing, according to investigators, was not coincidental—it was central to a scheme that allegedly allowed hundreds of Nepalis to illegally travel abroad each day, particularly to Europe, under falsified visit visas.
Bhattarai, who has previously faced corruption allegations, was abruptly transferred back to the Home Ministry just one day before the CIAA raided the TIA immigration office. He was arrested on May 21, 2025, shortly after the raid. Seized documents, devices, and communications are said to show a systematic operation where travellers paid up to NPR 300,000 for smooth passage through immigration. The CIAA estimates the illicit network generated daily revenue of up to NPR 5 million.
What has further fuelled opposition anger is the alleged connection between the scam and the Home Minister’s inner circle. Several members of Lekhak’s private secretariat have reportedly been named in media reports as either participants or facilitators in the scheme. The fact that key immigration officials were appointed directly by Lekhak has only intensified calls for him to step down.
However, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and senior leaders of the ruling CPN-UML and Nepali Congress have so far resisted these demands. The Congress argues that a separate committee is redundant given the ongoing CIAA investigation. Instead, it has engaged in negotiations with opposition parties, including the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), to explore alternative accountability mechanisms.
The RSP has been at the forefront of pushing for an independent probe. On Monday, it released a draft agreement proposing the creation of a high-level investigation committee within five days. This body, the RSP suggested, would investigate not just the involvement of the Home Ministry but also a wider nexus of actors—travel agencies, manpower companies, and even foreign organisations—accused of facilitating human trafficking and organised crime under the cover of visit visas.
Still, the ruling coalition remains divided on the proposal. The Nepali Congress is reluctant to endorse any mechanism that could implicate Lekhak, while the CPN (Maoist Centre) has been largely silent on the matter. As each side digs in, the parliamentary logjam continues, paralysing legislative functions and raising public frustration over political inaction.
Meanwhile, the CIAA investigation continues to expand. Multiple immigration officers, travel agents, and private facilitators have been interrogated or placed under surveillance. Preliminary findings suggest that at least 400 individuals attempted to leave Nepal daily using visit visas, many of them aided by corrupt officials in exchange for bribes routed through informal banking channels and coded messages.
With each passing day, the pressure mounts on the government to respond decisively. Critics warn that failure to ensure transparency and accountability could irreparably damage public trust. “If the ruling parties refuse to even consider an investigation, it sends the message that corruption is being protected at the highest levels,” said an opposition MP during a recent press briefing.
Home Minister Lekhak, for his part, has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed accusations as politically motivated. However, in the absence of an impartial inquiry, such denials have done little to quell the storm. The fact that many of the immigration personnel directly implicated in the scandal were selected under his watch makes it difficult for him to escape scrutiny.
Until a consensus is reached on the path forward, Nepal’s federal parliament remains at a standstill—symbolising not just a crisis of governance, but also the fragility of trust in democratic institutions in a country still navigating its post-monarchy political evolution.
