Nar Bahadur Bhandari convicted

Former Sikkim Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari was on Saturday convicted in a disproportionate assets case by a designated CBI court .
The court of Special CBI Judge S W Lepcha held Bhandari guilty under the prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The quantum of punishment will be pronounced by the court on Monday. The case relates to the alleged construction of a five-storey building by Bhandari in Gangtok at a cost of Rs 15.22 lakh which is unaccounted for.
The case was being heard by the designated CBI court since September 1994.
Bhandari was the chief minister of Sikkim from 1979 to 1994.
He was the all powerful Chief Minister in teh late '80s. His Sikkim Sangram Parishad party has the enviable record of capturing 100% seats in the state assembly. Absolute power corrupts, and in 1994, there was a split in his party, with Pawan chamling from South Sikkim becoming the new Chief minister.
had He is presently the president of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee.
As Correspondent for the Telegraph and Executive Editor of Sikkim Express, and later 'Forthrightly', I have many interesting stories about the man, who was, and continues to be an astute politician.