Sudan Gurung, who had earlier stepped down from his position as Nepal’s Interior Minister, was reportedly reinstated on Tuesday after an official investigation into his share transactions involving businessman Deepak Bhatt found no wrongdoing.
Dipa Dahal, media adviser of Nepal’s Prime Minister, told AFP, “Prime Minister Balendra Shah reappointed Gurung as Home Minister.”
Gurung had resigned from his post on April 22 after a controversy surrounding his financial investments in Star Micro Insurance and Liberty Micro Insurance, which are companies associated with Deepak Bhatt, who is currently under investigation for money laundering. Reports raised speculations on whether he had failed to disclose these investments. The reports also suggested that members within the ruling RSP demanded his resignation over concerns regarding a possible conflict of interest.
Gurung continued to deny the allegations, dismissing rumours that he concealed his financial information and also defended his asset declarations.
“I would not hide NRs 2.5 million worth of shares when my total declared assets exceed NRs 20 million. This is simply a matter of classification,” he wrote on social media in April.
He insisted that his shares were acquired before he assumed office and were already part of his declared investment portfolio. The leader also argued that merely being a shareholder did not indicate direct association with every individual connected to a company.
Gurung said he stepped down to ensure a “fair investigation” into the allegations. He handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Balen and announced his decision on social media.
The committee in charge of the probe has cleared him, leading to his reinstatement.
Gurung was a prominent figure in the Gen-Z protest movement in Nepal in September. He subsequently entered politics, winning a seat from Gorkha in the March 5 elections. Balen later appointed him as Home Minister on the day the new government took over the office.
Before coming under scrutiny over his financial dealings, Gurung made headlines by taking action against numerous high-ranking officials, according to news agency ANI.
