Mar 19, Kathmandu - The corruption trial involving former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and other individuals over the land irregularities at Patanjali Yogpeeth and Ayurveda Company Nepal has been postponed.

The hearing scheduled for Thursday (Chaitra 5) before a joint bench of Special Court Judges Narayan Prasad Poudel and Umesh Koirala was rescheduled after the defendants' legal representatives, including Nepal, requested a delay. The case has now been deferred to the following day.

The trial faced an initial obstacle as one of the defendants was related to Judge Sudarshan Dev Bhatta, leading to the case being listed as "not to be seen" in the previous schedule.

On Jestha 22, the Special Court filed a corruption case against 93 individuals, including Nepal, over the land irregularities at Patanjali Yogpeeth. The Anti-Corruption Commission has claimed a loss of approximately Rs. 185.8 million from the land scam, demanding fines and penalties.

The controversy stems from the Nepali cabinet led by Nepal, which, during a meeting on Falgun 6, 2066 BS, approved excessive land transactions for Patanjali Yogpeeth beyond legal limits. Subsequently, the land was sold and exchanged beyond those boundaries, fueling allegations of corruption.