Former land management minister and Nagarik Unmukti Party chair Ranjita Shrestha appeared before the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Wednesday to give a statement in connection with the controversial Batulechaur land scam.

The CIAA summoned Shrestha as part of its ongoing probe into the alleged illegal acquisition of 134 ropanis of public land, known locally as the “Litchi Orchard,” in Pokhara’s Batulechaur.

Investigators believe that Shrestha may be implicated in the bribery deal that facilitated political appointments of key officials in the land revenue office and the now-defunct Land Problem Resolution Commission.

Officials confirmed that Shrestha’s voice sample was also recorded for forensic analysis. The CIAA aims to determine whether her voice matches that of a woman heard in a recently leaked audio tape, which allegedly captures negotiations over bribes with former Minister for Federal Affairs Rajkumar Gupta and middleman Sujan Lama.

Earlier this week, the CIAA began recording statements from Gupta and Lama, both of whom are heard in the audio clip discussing a Rs7.8 million bribe in exchange for securing favourable postings of government officials. Their voice samples have also been collected and sent to the forensic lab, where the leaked recording was reportedly verified as authentic.

According to CIAA officials, Shrestha was summoned for a secondary round of verification to confirm her voice in the controversial clip. Investigators say her role in the broader scheme is still under scrutiny.