Miscellaneous
Cabinet appoints Durja Kumar Rai as APF chief
The government on Friday appointed Armed Police Force AIG Durja Kumar Rai as acting head of the paramilitary force.The government on Friday appointed Armed Police Force AIG Durja Kumar Rai as acting head of the paramilitary force.
A Cabinet meeting on Friday night suspended APF chief Kosh Raj Onta for his alleged involvement in corruption. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Thursday had recommended that the government suspend Onta.
“Onta has been suspended from the position and Durja Kumar Rai has been appointed as acting APF chief,” said Youth and Sports Minister Satya Narayan Mandal said.
Along with Rai, AIGs Jivan Kumar Thapa and Krishna Kumar Tamang were also the frontrunner for the post. But the government appointed Rai as APF chief based on his seniority. Following CIAA’s recommendation to suspend Onta, the ruling CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) were at odds over picking Onta’s successor.
UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was for naming AIG Rai as the APF chief, citing his seniority. The UCPN (M), which has the home ministry portfolio in the coalition government, however, was throwing its weight behind Thapa and Tamang, citing Rai’s involvement in suppressing the people’s movement in 2006.
Onta is under CIAA scanner for embezzling millions of rupees while purchasing and supplying goods for APF units and construction projects.
Onta, however, resigned from his position just before an emergency Cabinet meeting in Baluwatar on Friday.
But the Cabinet meeting instead of accepting his resignation decided to suspend him in line with the CIAA recommendation, according to PM Oli’s Press Advisor Pramod Dahal.
The CIAA is preparing to file a corruption case against Onta and other accused paramilitary officials at the Special Court.
Born in eastern region of country, Bhojpur, Rai joined Nepal Police as Inspector in February 1987. He was moved to the Armed Police Force as a Superintendent of Police in 2001. Rai is accused of suppressing 2006 people’s movement.