A decision taken by the Land Reform Office (LRO), Lalitpur, to attach 18 ropanis of land owned by Sajha Yatayat Chairman Kanak Mani Dixit, also a prominent journalist and rights activist, hours before a Supreme Court interim order not to take any action in Dixit’s case has stoked doubts whether

such moves were being made deliberately.

Dixit, who was earlier taken into custody by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority on April 22, has, in a statement, claimed that the LRO decision was taken at the behest of the anti-graft body.

Stating that Dixit has “amassed property disproportionate to his known source of income”, the CIAA had taken him into custody “for investigation”.

The LRO decision to attach 18 ropanis of land owned by Dixit family came on Wednesday just as a hearing on his petition was underway in the court.

Dixit has also taken exception to the act of passing on information related to the decision to the media instead of informing the concerned person.

A single bench of Justice Hari Krishna Karki has asked all the defendants to be present in court during the next hearing to discuss whether the interim order should be continued or not.

Dixit has said the CIAA has been mobilising the Social Welfare Council, Nepal Police, Land Reform Office and the Department of Revenue Investigation against non-profit organisations and private firms with which the scribe is associated with.