Police on Wednesday arrested one more individual in connection with the Lalita Niwas land scam.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police arrested Binod Poudel, a former assistant accountant at the Samarjung company. He was taken into control from Gokarna, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on Wednesday afternoon.

The arrestee has been accused of forging government documents to transfer the ownership of government land at Lalita Niwas in the name of private individuals.

With Poudel, a total of 15 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the crime.

The CIB on June 27 had arrested seven persons in connection with the scam. However, three people—Kaladhar Deuja, Surendra Kapali and Hupendra Mani KC—were later released owing to a previous stay order in connection with another case against them related to the same land scam.

Lalita Niwas covers some 300 ropanis [around 15 hectares] of land at Baluwatar adjoining the prime minister’s official residence and Nepal Rastra Bank central office and some other residences of top government officials.