The Kathmandu District Attorney’s Office has decided not to take any case in the court against Koshi provincial assembly member Lilaballabh Adhikari, who was arrested on allegations of human trafficking.

Citing nine reasons for the decision, District Attorney Sandesh Shrestha said that there was not enough evidence to sue Adhikari, who is also former minister of the province, on human trafficking allegations.

Shreshta mentioned Adhikari’s voluntary disclosure to Nepal Police regarding the case from Narita Airport in Japan as the prime reason for not taking the case ahead. While other suspects were deported by Japanese authorities through exclusion orders, Adhikari returned 'voluntarily' upon his own request.

“The investigation found no evidence linking Adhikari to the crime. Statements from other suspects did not implicate him, and his name was absent in initial testimonies, including those of Mahesh Pandey, a key defendant.” the attorney’s decision said. “ CCTV footage from Tribhuvan International Airport showed Adhikari travelling alone, and there was no record of communication with the arrested suspects through call details or WhatsApp messages.”

According to the public prosecutor’s office, the forensic examination of forged signatures in the case revealed no match with Adhikari’s handwriting, and his alleged meeting with other suspects, such as Kanchan Devkota, was determined to have occurred only during transit in Hong Kong.

The prosecutor’s decision to drop the charges has raised questions about the evidence presented against Adhikari, with some calling for further transparency in the investigation.

Nepal Police arrested the former minister for internal affairs and law of Koshi Province Adhikari from Biratnagar on November 10.