The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday filed a corruption case against 12 individuals including government staff and contractor involved in building a sub-standard bridge over Babai River at Jabbighat in Bardiya at the Special Court.

The bridge built by Pappu construction, sank on August 3, 2017 before it was formally handed over to the Road Department. After the corruption case was filed against him, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal (SSFN) lawmaker Hari Narayan Rauniyar has been automatically suspended. He was elected to the federal House of Representatives from Parsa district constituency-3.

In a statement on Friday, the CIAA said the individuals were dragged to the court as the contractor didn't build the bridge as per the design and the technical staff approved the work of the contractor without correcting the mistakes.

Among those charged by the anti-graft body are SSFN lawmaker Hari Narayan Yadav, owner of the Pappu Construction, his son and chairperson of the company, Sumit Rauniyar, Bhanu Joshi, Manoj Shrestha, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, chiefs of Division Road Office, Nepalgunj during the construction period, Nawaraj K.C, officiating division chief, Engineers—Prem Prasad Chuwai, Hari Bahadur Khadka and Dipendra Bahadur Bista, Sub-Engineers Karma Tenzing Tamang and Govinda Gaire and Krishnadev Yadav, proprietor of Everest Engineering Consultant.

The CIAA stated that entire technical staffers were found to have collided with the contractor during the construction of the bridge.