Govt told to present 10 doctors before court within three days

Kathmandu, June 20

The Supreme Court today ordered the government to produce 10 doctors arrested for presenting fake academic certificates under Operation Quack carried out by the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police at the court within three days.

A single bench of Justice Jagadish Chandra Sharma passed the order in response to 10 separate habeas corpus writs filed on behalf of the doctors kept in police custody, said Co-spokesperson of Supreme court Bishwa Raj Paudel.

The 10 doctors on whose behalf the habeas corpus writs were filed are: Nimesh Pal Raman, Panna Lal Prasad Patel, Binita Mandal, Punam Karna, Irshadul Haq, Shri Ram Ghimire, Ram Kumar Pradhan, Santosh Kumar Jha, Mohammed Rahullah and Saroj Kumar Singh.

The writ petitioners have said that the doctors were arrested without being served any arrest warrant.

Advocate Sunil Kumar Patel, who filed a habeas corpus writ on behalf of Dr Panna Lal Prasad Patel has stated in his writ that National Medical Council Act 1964, was a complete law for dealing with any issue related to the conduct of medical doctors and therefore the police action of invoking the provisions of the Muluki Ain (General Code) was wrong.

Advocate Patel stated the Muluki Ain’s provision which says the matters set forth in separate laws made in specific subjects shall be governed by such laws and those matters not set forth in such laws shall be governed by this Muluki Ain.

Advocate Patel argued in the writ that the police could not invoke Muluki Ain against doctors who are governed by Nepal Medical Council Act, 1964.

The petitioners have named Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police, Nepal Police Headquarters and Ministry of Home Affairs as defendants in the case.