Inside the alleged plot against Nepal’s anti-graft chief

A chargesheet outlines allegations of bureaucratic power plays, intimidation networks, ritual-based coercion and cross-border money flows in a case centred on former civil aviation chief Pradeep Adhikari.

On October 22, 2025, an email arrived in the inbox of Prem Kumar Rai, chief commissioner of Nepal’s anti-corruption body, with a subject line that was not subtle. “We are giving you 10 days for your last wish,” it read. Ten officials at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority would be assassinated unless they resigned within the deadline. The message was signed: “Prakash Pathak, chairman, EGN.”