Fact Check: Viral Claims About The Chandbagh School Relocation Linked to Balen Shah Are Misleading
चैत १९, २०८२ १२:३०
Kathmandu. In the past few days, posts have been going viral on social media claiming that the CG Group-owned ‘Chandbagh School’ is relocating from Ward No. 3 in Basbari, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, to Ward No. 6 in Jorpati, Gokarneshwor Municipality, due to Balendra Shah (Balen) allegedly becoming Prime Minister.
Fact-checking by the TechPana Factcheck Desk has found the claim to be misleading. In reality, the school physically and legally moved from Kathmandu Metropolitan to Jorpati and has been operational for about a year, since 18 March 2025.
In fact, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City's Education Department was unable to hold a meeting on time, so a one-year notice regarding school transfers was published in ‘Gorkhapatra’ on 22 March 2026. Due to the metropolitan education department's delay, some Facebook pages disseminated false information based on speculations, claiming that “the school is just about to be relocated” because “Balen will soon be elected Prime Minister.”
Claim
On Monday, March 23, 2026, at 1:54 p.m., a post was made on a Facebook page named ‘Janaboli.’ The caption of the post reads, “As Balen's entry approaches, even those who looted the state 50 years ago will scatter, and the Chaudhary Group will flee from the Bansbari Shoe land on their own.
After purchasing the government land at a relatively low price, the Chaudhary Group plans to move Chandbagh School, which has been functioning on property that had belonged to the Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory in Bansbari, Kathmandu. With the school operating on land under the government's name, the Chaudhary Group had been overlooking pressure from the metropolitan and government bodies but has now relocated the school to Gokarneshwor Municipality-6 as former Mayor Balen Shah prepares to become Prime Minister.
“For the past few years, there have been investigations into the issue of approximately 10 ropani of government land in Bansbari being transferred in the name of a corporation associated with the Chaudhary Group. Industrialist Binod Chaudhary and his brother Arun Chaudhary, among others, gave testimony to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in the same case. Arun Chaudhary was also detained for a while. After the investigation, the land was restored to the government’s name. Amidst the controversy, The Chandbagh School was also told to leave the premises by Kathmandu Metropolitan City, which claimed that it was encroaching on public land. However, they resisted. The school has announced that the next academic session will begin in a new location at the end of Chaitra, immediately following the end of the current exams. Following the nationalization of the land and pressure from the metropolitan authorities, the Chaudhary Group is preparing to move the school from Bansbari to Gokarneshwor. Chandbagh had requested permission from Kathmandu Metropolitan City for the relocation starting this academic session, and the metropolitan office has even issued a notice of claim dispute regarding permission.”
By the time this content was prepared, that post had received over 7,900 reactions, 531 comments, and 341 shares. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Investigation
When TechPana's Fact-Check Desk searched the keyword ‘Chandbagh School,’ it was found that a Facebook page named ‘Truth of Nepal’ posted a poster on March 22, 2026, at 1:45 p.m. with the text ‘Preparation to move Chaudhary's Chandbagh from the privatized land in Bansbari.’ The caption of the post was also the same as the caption shared by ‘Janaboli.’
As of the preparation of this article, the post had received more than 1,600 reactions, 396 comments, and had been shared 143 times. See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
Similarly, a Facebook page named ‘A One Television’ has also posted a video with the caption “Chaudhary Group under pressure; Chandbagh School to be shifted.” In the video, the presenter is seen reading the caption from ‘Janaboli.” See the original video and screenshot.
A Facebook page named ‘Janajibro Group’ also posted a 1-minute 30-second video claiming that the Chandbagh School is moving from Bansbari. Watch the video and screenshot.
On Instagram, user ‘bharat_bist24’ was also found sharing a poster with the caption “Preparation to move Chaudhary's Chandbagh from the privatized land in Bansbari.” See the original post, archived post, and screenshot.
To fact-check this matter, the TechPana Factcheck Desk first investigated the current location of Chandbagh School. While searching on Google Maps, it was found that this school is now located in Ward No. 6 of Gokarneshwor Municipality. See Google Maps.
While searching on the school's Facebook page, it was found that a video with details of the new location was provided on 28 March 2025. Watch the video.
Then we investigated the connections between Bansbari, Jorpati, and the Chandbagh School. In the process, a news article titled ‘After 39 Years, the Land of Bansbari Leather Shoe Factory Returns’ published in Naya Patrika Daily on 3 July 2025 was found. An online news article titled “Chandbagh School Given 2-Day Ultimatum to Vacate Encroached Land” published in Online Khabar on 12 August 2024, and another news article titled “10 Ropani of Government Land in Bansbari: How the Chaudhary Group Encroached It” published in Ukaalo on 22 October 2022, were also found.
Similarly, on 9 March 2026, an article titled ‘Bansbari Land: Returned from Chaudhary Group, Ward Chairman's Intervention to Give it to Gangalal Hospital’ was published on Ukaalo.com. According to various media reports, the connection of Chandbagh School with Bansbari and Jorpati was found to be linked with its old and new locations.
Established by the Chaudhary Group in 1996, the school was initially operated in Bansbari. While in Bansbari, the Chaudhary Group had ‘encroached’ 10 ropanis of government land belonging to the Bansbari leather and shoe factory under the name of Champion Footwear to run this school, for which the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had even issued instructions to vacate. Later, the school relocated from Bansbari to Gokarneshwor-6, Jorpati. It has now been revealed that the school is currently operating in Jorpati.
Following this, we got in contact with the school to request documents about the transfer, as well as to find out what further authentication and legal procedures were followed for the school transfer. In the process, the school provided the document of transfer recommendation issued by Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 3. The recommendation letter provided on 19 March 2025 reads, “Regarding the subject presented, the business with registration number 4500/B issued on 31/03/2080 under the name The Chandbagh School Pvt. Ltd., located at Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 3 Bansbari, has been transferred to Ward No. 6 of Gokarneshwor Municipality from 05/12/2081. Upon receiving the application from the head of administration of the school, Kedar Prasad Tiwari, this ward office has verified and recommends that the business has indeed been relocated to Ward No. 6 of Gokarneshwor Municipality from the mentioned date.”
Similarly, on 10 April 2025, Gokarneshwor Municipality agreed to transfer from Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 3 to Gokarneshwor Municipality Ward No. 6.
Similarly, on 19 June 2025, Gokarneshwor Municipality granted ‘school operation permission.’ The letter signed by Municipal Education Officer Bir Bahadur Khadka states, “Regarding the present matter, the school currently operating in Ward No. 3, Basbari, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has been transferred to Ward No. 6, Narayantar, Kathmandu, in accordance with the prevailing Education Act, 2028 (with amendments), Education Regulations, 2059 (with amendments), the Gokarneshwor Municipality Education Act, 2079, and other prevailing laws of Nepal, and to operate classes with permission obtained according to the Companies Act from the academic session 2082, permission has been granted by the decision of the 38th executive meeting of this municipality dated 2082.03.03.”
Facebook posts reporting that The Chandbagh School is moving from Bansbari to Jorpati these days (March 2026) are based on the notice recently issued by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. While searching for e-papers of Gorkhapatra published last week, we found the notice from Kathmandu Metropolitan City related to ‘The Chandbagh School’ on page 10 of Year 125, Issue 311, published on 22 March 2026. See the notice.
The notice states that there has been a ‘change in the name, location, and ownership of institutional schools’ of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The second section of the notice lists four schools that have sought permission to change the school’s location. Among them, the second is ‘The Chandbagh School.’ The school's previous address is mentioned as Kathmandu Metropolitan City-03, Kathmandu, and the updated address is mentioned as Gokarneshwor Municipality-06, Kathmandu.
Based on this information, it may appear that The Chandbagh School is currently located in Bansbari and wants to relocate to Jorpati. It is stated that if there is any kind of objection to this, an application should be submitted within 35 days.
After finding contradictions between the various information, documents, and news we discovered, we contacted Namraj Dhakal, the head of the Education Department of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. He said, “The Education Committee has the last say when it comes to school transfers or ownership changes; the ward only provides ward-level consent. The Education Committee has not been able to hold meetings for a long time, which is why the notice has been delayed. A meeting of the committee was held only a few days ago, after July, which is why this recent notice has arrived. There is no reason for the school itself to be moved in the case of ‘The Chandbagh School.’ Even though the school has been shifted elsewhere, a public notice has been issued to complete the 'due process' legally.
The main purpose of issuing such a notice is to make the public aware of any financial obligations, transactions, rent, or other disputes of the school. This procedure is required to enable any claims or opposition because the school's responsibilities remain with it wherever it relocates. The general public may not be aware of the consent letter issued by the ward, so it is the department's duty to inform everyone publicly. There has been a delay because a collective decision also needs to be made regarding other schools whose names and ownership have changed. The delay occurred because, after July, the meeting was held this late. However, from now on, the department's meetings will be regular, and all work will be completed on time.”
These various facts confirm that ‘The Chandbag School’ had been physically and legally transferred from Kathmandu Metropolitan City to Gokarneshwor Municipality Ward No. 6, Jorpati, a year ago and is currently operating regularly. Due to the fact that the Education Department of the metropolitan city could not hold a meeting for a long time, the notice was published almost a year later. Based solely on that notice, misleading claims that The Chandbagh School was transferred in association with Balendra Shah went viral.
Claim
The Chaudhary Group tried to relocate (escape) "The Chandbag School," which had been operating on government land in Bansbari, to Jorpati of Gokarneshwor Municipality out of fear that Balendra Shah (Balen) would become prime minister.
Claimants
Facebook pages like ‘Janaboli’, Truth of Nepal, A One Television, Janajibro Group, and Instagram user ‘bharat_bist24’, among others.
Facts
The school has already been relocated: ‘The Chandbagh School’ did not recently shift; it had already been physically and procedurally transferred about a year ago (on 5 March 2025) from Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 3, Bansbari, to Gokarneshwor Municipality Ward No. 6, Jorpati, and is currently operating from there.
Legally certified: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 3 provided the transfer recommendation on 19 March 2025, while Gokarneshwor Municipality gave consent on 10 April 2025 and granted the final permission to operate the school on 19 June 2025.
Reason for the notice: The notice to complete the legal process regarding claims and objections related to school transfers was published in ‘Gorkhapatra’ on 22 March 2026, almost a year later, because the meeting of the Education Department (Committee) of Kathmandu Metropolitan City could not be held for a long period.
Official's statement: According to Namraj Dhakal, head of the Metropolitan Education Department, this notice has been issued only to make public any financial obligations or disputes of the school, even though the school may have moved elsewhere; the school is not trying to flee.
Conclusion
The rumor linking the technical notice, which was released a year late due to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City's Education Department not being able to hold meetings on time, with claims that ‘the school is about to be relocated’ and that ‘Balen Shah is about to become Prime Minister’ is misleading.
Feedback
You can send us social media posts that need fact-checking via our website, or social media handles (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn), or email us at [email protected]. If you have any feedback or suggestions regarding fact-checking, you can send us an email.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: चैत १९, २०८२ १२:३०
