KATHMANDU, APRIL 16 The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of Nepali Congress leader and former minister Dipak Khadka, who had been arrested on charges of money laundering. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla and Justice Shreekant Paudel issued the order in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by Khadka's spouse, Binita Thapa. In its ruling, the bench stated that Khadka's detention was neither lawful nor in accordance with due process. 'The arrest warrant issued against him and the subsequent extension of his detention do not meet the required legal standards,' the justices observed. They further noted that the investigation into Khadka's assets could proceed without the need for custodial detention. However, the court stipulated that Khadka must obtain prior permission from the concerned court before undertaking any foreign travel. The order also clarified that if an individual under investigation fails to disclose the source of their assets, the Inland Revenue Department is authorized, in accordance with the law, to assess and impose taxes on property with undisclosed origins. Khadka had been arrested two weeks earlier by the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police in connection with a money laundering case, following a communication from the Revenue Investigation Department.