Kathmandu, April 24 -- The District Forest Office in Sarlahi has filed a forest encroachment case at the District Court in Malangwa against suspended Bagmati Municipality Mayor Bharat Thapa, Deputy Mayor Leela Kumari Moktan, and four other former officials.

The municipality officials are accused of illegally authorising the construction of private ponds by encroaching on protected forest land belonging to the Sagarnath Forest Development Project.

The case claims a financial loss of Rs1.49 billion, naming former District Coordination Committee chief Mithur Chaudhary, ex-chief administrative officer Bimal Kumar Pokhrel, accounts officer Bishwaraj Pokhrel, and engineer Sagar Paudel as other defendants.

The charge sheet stated that a total...