KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Khagendra Sunar has submitted a written response to the party’s disciplinary commission, denying that he is the person heard in a controversial audio recording allegedly featuring a conversation between him and a woman.
Sunar told the investigation committee formed by the disciplinary commission that the voice in the recording was not his. A member of the disciplinary commission and coordinator of the investigation committee confirmed that Sunar had submitted the written response.
According to party sources, Sunar has denied the allegation and said the voice is not his. The letter also elaborates on the issues he raised on social media.
Following Sunar’s denial, the committee has begun seeking independent evidence to verify the recording. After the audio became public, Sunar had claimed that it was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). He has also alleged that he has been repeatedly targeted since raising concerns about corruption in the police.
In a social media post, Sunar dismissed the allegations and claimed that the audio recording involving a woman was fabricated using AI and other technologies.
The investigation committee has obtained an unedited version of the audio from Jana Aastha, which published the recording. It has also written to News24 TV seeking a copy of the interview broadcast with the woman allegedly involved in the conversation.
According to the committee, Sunar’s denial and the statements made by the woman in the interview have complicated the investigation.
“We will examine Jana Aastha’s audio internally. If we encounter any complications, we will write to the concerned agency for a technical investigation,” Bhattarai said.
He added that the committee would question Sunar after conducting its initial technical examination. The timeline for completing the investigation would depend on how long the technical verification takes, he said, adding that the committee had made considerable progress in other aspects of the inquiry.
Following the audio’s release, the party’s disciplinary commission initiated an internal investigation after the RSP expressed concern and directed the party to look into the matter involving Sunar.
Sunar was also instructed not to participate in formal public events in his capacity as a lawmaker until the investigation is completed.