Kathmandu, July 14: The government has formed a judicial committee to investigate the qualifications of Sharad Ojha, Chairperson of the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA).
A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday evening decided to constitute a three-member probe panel under the coordination of former High Court Judge Krishna Giri. The committee also includes insurance expert Kapil Oli and one economist as members.
Ojha was appointed to the post on February 24, 2025, but questions have since been raised regarding the legitimacy of documents he submitted for the appointment. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is also currently investigating the matter.
Following the formation of the judicial committee, Ojha has been automatically suspended from his post, as per legal provisions. Section 12 of the Insurance Act allows the government to form a judicial committee under a retired High Court judge to investigate the Insurance Authority Chairperson.
The government took this step after the CIAA raised concerns over whether a forged experience certificate was knowingly used as the basis for his appointment. Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel had reportedly advised Ojha to resign amid the controversy, but after he denied doing so, the Cabinet moved to form the investigation committee.
The newly formed committee has been tasked with investigating both Ojha’s qualifications and his performance in office. #nepal #insurance #cabinet
