Fact Check: Viral Claim That CIAA Made Arzu Rana Deuba a Defendant in Passport Printing Corruption Case Is False
असार १०, २०८३ १४:१७
Kathmandu. Claims circulating on news websites and social media that former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has been made a defendant in the passport printing corruption case are false.
On Monday, online news portal Ratopati.com published a report titled “Passport Printing Case: Contractor Found to Have Received Rs 1 Billion in Advance.” An AI-generated summary attached to the report claimed that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a case against former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba in the Special Court.
Similar claims were later amplified by several Facebook pages and social media users. However, a fact-check conducted by the TechPana Fact Check Desk found that while the CIAA has filed a corruption case against 18 defendants in connection with the e-passport procurement process, Arzu Rana Deuba is not among them.
Claim
On June 22, 2026, at 4:50 p.m., Ratopati.com published a news report titled “Passport Printing Case: Contractor Found to Have Received Rs 1 Billion in Advance.” The report included a three-point AI-generated summary. The first point stated:
"In the passport printing case, former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has been made a defendant by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in the Special Court."
Apart from the AI-generated summary, the report does not mention anywhere else that Arzu Rana Deuba has been named a defendant. The article only notes that the contract for electronic passport printing was approved during her tenure as foreign minister.
At the time of publication of this fact check, the article had been shared more than 3,700 times. Check the original news, and screenshot.
Investigation
The TechPana Fact Check Desk used keyword searches to identify social media posts repeating the claim that Arzu Rana Deuba had been named a defendant.
During the review, a Facebook page named The Immigration shared Arzu Rana Deuba’s photograph with the caption: “In the passport printing case, former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has been made a defendant by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority in the Special Court.” By the time this article was prepared, the post had received 378 reactions, three comments, and 17 shares. Check the original post, archived version, and screenshot.
Similarly, a Facebook user named Yamraj Bhattarai posted in a group supporting Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, claiming that the CIAA had filed a corruption case against 18 individuals, including Arzu Rana Deuba. Check the original post and screenshot.
Likewise, a Facebook page called Routine of Khadi published the same claim. Check the original post and screenshot.
Another Facebook page, Janaboli TV, also claimed that a corruption case involving 18 individuals, including Arzu Rana, had been forwarded to the Special Court. Check the original post, archived version, and screenshot.
Beyond these examples, dozens of other Facebook pages, accounts, and social media users shared similar claims on Monday, alleging that the CIAA had filed a charge sheet against Arzu Rana Deuba in the Special Court.
The TechPana Fact Check Desk also received multiple requests through email and social media inboxes asking for verification of the claim.
To verify the allegation, the fact-check team first reviewed the actual case filed by the CIAA. During the process, they found a press release published on the CIAA’s official website on June 22, 2026. The release included a PDF copy of the charge sheet. Check the PDF document.
The official statement identifies officials from the Department of Passports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as foreign companies and their representatives as defendants in the case.
According to the CIAA, those named as defendants include former Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rajaram Dahal, former Under-Secretary Bhes Prasad Bhurtel, and then Under-Secretary Pushkar Raj Nepal.
Nowhere in the official press release, charge sheet, or list of defendants is the name of former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba mentioned.
Furthermore, no mainstream media outlet has reported that Arzu Rana Deuba was named as a defendant in the corruption case filed by the CIAA on Monday.
These findings confirm that the claim alleging that Arzu Rana Deuba was made a defendant and charged in the Special Court is false.
Claim
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba in the passport printing case.
Claimants
Ratopati.com: Through the AI-generated summary attached to its June 22, 2026, report titled “Passport Printing Case: Contractor Found to Have Received Rs 1 Billion in Advance.”
Social media users and pages: Including Facebook pages, The Immigration, Routine of Khadi, Janaboli TV, Facebook user Yamraj Bhattarai, and several other social media accounts.
Facts
According to the official press release issued by the CIAA on 22 June 2026, corruption charges have been filed against 18 defendants, including 16 individuals and representatives of two companies, in connection with the passport printing procurement case.
The charge sheet names several former Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, including Rajaram Dahal, Bhes Prasad Bhurtel, and Pushkar Raj Nepal. However, former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba’s name does not appear anywhere in the list of defendants.
Media reports indicate that the CIAA had previously sought a statement from Arzu Rana Deuba during its investigation into the e-passport procurement process. However, she has not been named as a defendant in the corruption case filed before the Special Court.
Conclusion
The claim that former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has been made a defendant by the CIAA and charged in the Special Court in connection with the passport printing corruption case is false. The official charge sheet does not list her among the defendants.
Feedback
You can send us social media posts that need fact-checking via our website or social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn), or email us at [email protected]. If you have any feedback or suggestions regarding fact-checking, you can send us an email.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार १०, २०८३ १४:१७
