Sunar Says He Is Ready to Cooperate With an Impartial Investigation

Dragon Media Correspondent

Khagendra Sunar, a Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker from Banke-3, has said he is ready to cooperate with an impartial investigation into a controversial audio recording linked to him. He claims the recording was produced to defame him. Meanwhile, former minister Ram Kumari Jhakri has urged the government and Nepal Police to immediately ensure the safety of the woman and her minor child targeted in the recording.

According to a report by Ratopati, Sunar said in a video released on Tuesday that the recording used a fictional person and a voice made to sound like his. He claimed he was being attacked and defamed through the media after raising questions about corruption within the police at the Public Accounts Committee. Saying he was ready to give up his parliamentary seat if wrongdoing on his part was established, he said, “If even the slightest fault of mine is found, I have no objection to being publicly disgraced and driven beyond the four passes.”

In a social media post, Jhakri said the audio appeared to contain obscene abuse and death threats directed at the woman. She said the woman’s minor child was also subjected to abusive language and threats. Jhakri expressed concern that the child could be at risk and said the child was not responsible for the dispute.

“Before action is taken against the accused, the victim’s safety must come first,” Jhakri wrote. She urged police to provide immediate protection to the woman and child, arrange their rescue if necessary, and then investigate the incident and pursue legal action. She also called on RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane to address the matter promptly and urged the party to treat it seriously.

On Monday, Jana Aastha Weekly published four audio clips it said involved a conversation between Sunar and a woman. The publication reported that the recordings appeared to contain verbal abuse, threats and demands for money. The authenticity of the recordings and the identity of the voice have not been officially confirmed.

The RSP said it had begun an internal investigation into the audio recordings and related allegations. The party said Sunar had been instructed not to attend formal events in his capacity as a lawmaker until the inquiry is concluded.