A lawmaker from the Rastriya Swatantra Party has denied knowing the woman heard in an audio recording at the centre of allegations of abuse and blackmail, prompting some party leaders to argue that he should face no further action.

Khagendra Sunar, a member of the House of Representatives and the party’s central committee, gave written and oral statements to an investigation panel formed by the RSP’s Disciplinary Commission. According to party sources, he denied the allegations in his written statement and told the panel during questioning that he did not recognise the woman in the recording.

A source familiar with the investigation said the panel had specifically asked Sunar whether he knew the woman whose voice could be heard in the audio.

“The committee asked him whether he recognised the woman heard in the recording. He said he did not. When questioned about the audio, he said he knew nothing about it and that it was not his recording. He denied the allegations in his oral statement, just as he had in his written one,” the source said.

The controversy came to light after Jana Aastha weekly published a report headlined “RSP lawmaker Khagendra Sunar embroiled in another controversy: Threats to kill former minister, extortion, with audio recordings and banking transaction details.”

The audio released alongside the report appears to capture Sunar verbally abusing a woman, demanding money from her and threatening to kill her. The report also alleged that he had lured the woman with the promise of marriage, made explicit videos and photographs of her, and then used them to blackmail her.

Following the release of the recording, the RSP restricted Sunar from attending formal events in his capacity as a public office-holder until the investigation is completed.

In a statement, party General Secretary Bipin Acharya said Sunar had been instructed to stay away from all formal events in his public capacity to prevent any interference with the investigation and uphold the ethical standards expected of public office-holders.

The party had tasked its Disciplinary Commission with investigating the allegations, including the audio recording. The commission subsequently formed a six-member panel, coordinated by Hari Chandra Bhattarai, deputy head and spokesperson of the commission. Its members are Ram Chandra Karki, Sushila Simkhada, Santosh Acharya, Santosh Bishunkhe and Upendra Nandan Timilsina.

The panel visited the Jana Aastha office and collected the audio recording attributed to Sunar, along with other evidence. It also obtained an audio recording of an interview the woman gave to News 24 television.

After Sunar denied the allegations, some RSP office-bearers, lawmakers and central committee members began arguing that the party should take no further action against him.

“The incident dates back to 2021, and Sunar has denied the allegations. We understand that the woman has also disputed the claims. There is no need for further investigation or action,” the RSP office-bearer said.

According to the official, the alleged incident took place before Sunar joined the RSP, which, in their view, was another reason not to pursue disciplinary action against him.

The Disciplinary Commission, however, had said it would have the audio recording examined in a laboratory after Sunar denied its authenticity. The commission said the recording attributed to Sunar and the woman’s voice would undergo forensic analysis to establish the facts.

Bhattarai, coordinator of the investigation panel, said the committee would take up the next stage of the inquiry after the Tihar festival. It will analyse the evidence gathered so far before concluding. “The statements have been recorded. We have yet to establish what they contain. The committee will meet and open the statement files. We will then put the statements alongside the evidence, analyse them and reach a conclusion,” Bhattarai said.