A corruption case was filed at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority on Friday, demanding an investigation into alleged bribery at the Supreme Court, Nepal Medical Council and conflict of interests among constitutional bodies while granting affiliations to medical colleges and allocating quotas for MBBS admissions.

Dozens of party leaders and cadres affiliated to Rastriya Prajatantara Party-Nepal went to CIAA headquarters and registered the complaint after an investigative report carried out by the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) revealed that medical colleges were influencing and bribing lawmakers and government officials, including those in Nepal Medical Council (NMC) and Supreme Court, to secure affiliation and increase quota for MBBS students. “They arrived here and registered a four-page complaint. We have taken it seriously and investigation will be carried out based on our jurisdictions,” said Bhawani Subedi, press adviser for CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki.

The CIJ has published series of investigative reports, exposing the involvement of government officials and justices and conflict of interest of higher authorities, including the CIAA, while granting affiliations to medical colleges and increasing quotas. Public outrage is mounting on government to investigate into such alleged irregularities involving government officials, justices, lawmakers and members of Nepal  Medical Council.

On Thursday, Nepal Bar Association had urged Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha to investigate into the matter, arguing that the reports have produced enough evidence to establish involvement of judges. According to the CIJ reports, medical college operators have admitted that they established a strong network within government agencies as well as Nepal Medical Council to increase MBBS quota and get affiliation ‘illegally’. The reports are based on an interview with college operators by a journalist, who approached the former in the guise of an agent trying to admit students from within and outside the country to MBBS programmes.

RPP-N Chairman Kamal Thapa had earlier registered a proposal in the legislature-parliament to suspend all other proceedings and begin discussion on the matter as it was an issue of huge public concern.