Nepal Government Secretary Dr Krishnahari Pushkar was brought to the Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku for questioning on Thursday afternoon. According to sources, Dr Pushkar rushed to the police station directly from Lainchaur after being informed that the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers' Office had summoned for interrogation.
The investigation centers around a text message Dr Pushkar sent to Prime Minister Shah. The message reportedly expressed his interest in upcoming diplomatic and university appointments, which are now subject to a competitive application process rather than traditional political selection.
Family sources downplayed the issue, claiming that Balen and Dr Pushkar share a long-standing acquaintance as both hail from Mahottari district. They suggested that the message might have been misinterpreted or that external parties may have misled the Prime Minister.
When contacted, Dr Pushkar denied that he was formally arrested and maintained that he was simply communicating through standard official channels.
"Rumors are being spread that I was arrested, but that is not the case. As I am nearing retirement, I simply informed the Prime Minister that I had applied for suitable positions advertised by the government. We write in the style fitting for civil servants, but perhaps he was confused." —Secretary Dr Pushkar said.
Dr Pushkar, who currently serves in the Office of the Vice President, is set to retire from civil service on July 8. He previously held high-profile secretarial positions in the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office. Under the current protocol, a sitting government secretary holds a significant rank equivalent to that of foreign ambassadors based in Kathmandu.
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