The Rastriya Swatantra Party has said it is taking seriously media reports, publicly released audio recordings and questions raised about its lawmaker Khagendra Sunar, following allegations of blackmail, threats and suspicious financial transactions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, party General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya said the allegations against Sunar were serious and sensitive. The party has directed its central disciplinary commission to begin an internal investigation and barred the lawmaker from attending formal public events in his capacity as a public office-holder until the inquiry is completed.

The statement follows a report published by Jana Aastha on Monday under the headline “RSP lawmaker Khagendra Sunar embroiled in another controversy: Threats to kill former minister, extortion (with audio and banking transaction details)”.

The report alleges that Sunar lured a woman with the promise of marriage, made an explicit video of her and used it to blackmail her. Jana Aastha also said it had obtained four audio recordings allegedly containing threats made by Sunar.

“Allegations made public through the media involving acts that undermine women’s dignity and respect, undue pressure, unwarranted threats and suspicious financial transactions are extremely serious and sensitive,” Acharya said in the statement. “The RSP, which firmly stands for the rule of law, good governance and public accountability, cannot treat such allegations against any of its members or elected representatives as trivial.”

Acharya said the party had a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of abuse against women, violations of the standards expected of public office-holders and criminal offences.

He said the party had instructed its central disciplinary commission to immediately begin an internal investigation to establish the facts.

“To ensure that the investigation is not impeded and that the standards of conduct expected of a public office-holder are maintained, he has been instructed not to attend any formal public events in that capacity until the inquiry reaches a conclusion,” the statement said.

Acharya also pledged the party’s full cooperation with investigations by state authorities.

Reiterating the principle that no one is above the law, he said the party would take further action in accordance with the law and its statute based on the findings of both the independent state investigation and the party’s internal inquiry.

 “We want to assure the public that the RSP will never provide political protection to anyone who violates the law or breaches the standards of conduct expected of a public office-holder,” the statement said.