Prachanda homes in on luxury mansion,sparks row

Prachanda’s son Prakash has described the home as rented on Facebook,and said his father moved because of security reasons. His earlier home,also rented,was “not suited to a man of Prachanda’s stature”,Prakash said. The new home has parking space for about 10 vehicles at a time. Prachanda’s next-door neighbour is retired general Shanta Kumar Malla,a former ADC to King Birendra.

Family sources said Prachanda was paying a monthly rent of Rs 60,000,but his nephew Sameer Dahal,while claiming that a five-year rental agreement had been signed,said the rent was yet to be decided. The daily Nagarik said the rent was Rs 1,03,000 per month.

The weekly tabloid Sanghu made a different,startling claim: that Prachanda has actually bought the house for Rs 100.2 million,a price much lower than that prevalent in the area.

According to the weekly,the property,owned by one Nawal Singhania Agarwal,was transferred to someone called Shishu Aryal on July 29,2011.

All this has triggered disquiet in Prachanda’s Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists. Prachanda has been seen wearing luxury Rado watches and designer suits,and has been known to lay claim to horses and SUVs — yet,the unclear source of funds for his new home has troubled party leaders and workers.

“This only confirms the fear expressed by Maoist vice-chairman Mohan Biadhya Kiran that Prachanda has failed to honour the issue of probity in public life,” a senior journalist affiliated to the UCPN-M said.