Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Thursday filed a corruption case at the Special Court against the then chief of Tribhuvan Airport Immigration Office, Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, 7 persons and two companies.

Immigration Officer Yagya Raj Aryal, Bal Krishna Khadka, Ram Khadka, Kabita Poudel and Khem Subedi have been named as defendants in the case. Subedi is a real estate entrepreneur. Green Line Holidays Pvt. Ltd. and another company have also been named as defendants.

Bhattarai has been charged Rs 79.80 lakh in the bribery case. A case has been filed against Bhattarai, Poudel and Subedi on the charge of money laundering.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had arrested Bhattarai in the third week of June and started investigation into the visit visa scam. The then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has not been named as a defendant in the case.