Kathmandu. The then chairman of Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) has been arrested. Former chairman of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Bhupendra Bhandari has been arrested in connection with the Nepal Investment Mega Bank (NIBL) auction of government property. 

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police arrested Bhandari from Ghapakhel of Lalitpur Metropolitan City -23 by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). 

CIB Spokesperson Anupam Shumsher Rana said that Bhandari will be investigated in connection with the smart cell scam.According to Jung Bahadur Rana, he has been accused of causing loss to the state by selling the property of Smart Cell.

Bhandari was working as an expert in the secretariat of Rekha Sharma when she was the Minister for Communications and Information Technology before becoming the chairperson of NRA.At that time, Purushottam Khanal was the chairman of the NRA. Bhandari became the chairman of NEA after Khanal was suspended following a corruption case filed against him in the Teramax case.

The CIB has arrested him on the charge of causing loss to the state by selling the property of Smart Cell that has already come in the name of the state by misusing his position while he was the chairman of the authority.Further investigation is underway against him, the CIB said.