The Chief of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police, Senior Superintendent Rajunath Pandey, has been suspended for six months amid escalating tensions between Mayor Balendra Shah and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Saroj Guragain.

Guragain confirmed that the office sent a letter to Pandey notifying him of the six-month suspension.

According to city officials, the suspension follows allegations that Pandey obstructed CAO Guragain from entering the KMC office—actions taken at the verbal direction of Mayor Shah in the first week of April.

In the seven-point clarification letter, the administration accused him of misconduct, including locking the Guragain’s official vehicle, blocking him from entering the office, seizing attendance register, and behaving inappropriately towards elected representatives of the metropolis.

Pandey reportedly submitted his explanation on May 26, but it was deemed unsatisfactory by the administration, resulting in the suspension order issued under the Municipal Police Act, 2023.

While the Act stipulates that the municipal police operate under the authority of the chief administrative officer, the context of this suspension is rooted in a broader power struggle between the independently elected Mayor Shah and the federal government, which has been further deepened after UML chair KP Sharma Oli became prime minister.

The controversy surrounding CAO Guragain—who was deputed at the city office by the federal government—began when he was accused of procedural and financial irregularities in approving a revised design for the Kathmandu Tower, increasing its height from 12 to 19 storeys. The changes reportedly bypassed mandatory seismic and structural reviews, leading Mayor Shah to suspend Guragain pending investigation. However, the federal government refused to send a replacement, effectively paralysing key municipal functions, including payroll approvals.

On April 4, while Mayor Shah was outside the city, the federal government reinstated Guragain to the city office. During the controversy, while the mayor wanted to replace Guragain, Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol and most of the ward chairs stood in favour of allowing the CAO to work.

Video clips showed a security team led by Pandey trying to block Guragain from entering the office while ward chairs and Dangol, among other officials, were escorting the officer to his chamber.