KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 1
A case of contempt of court has been filed against Chairman of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the Supreme Court for his recent public remarks on a case related to the dissolution of the House of Representatives. The case is sub-judice in the SC.
Advocate Samir Hayu had filed the case yesterday, citing Dahal's January 22 speech at Maitighar Mandala while addressing a mass demonstration.
The Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal faction of the NCP has been organising nationwide protests against the December 20 move of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolving the HoR. At least a dozen cases have been filed against dissolution of the House.
Advocate Hayu, in the writ, has stated that Dahal's speech was intended towards threatening and intimidating the court. The writ citing Dahal states, "What I believe is that no one wants the country to get into a war situation, no one wants violence and terrorism in the country. I can't believe that the respected SC and respected justices will want the same. But, if Oli's authoritative move is not rectified by the court, we will bring hundreds of thousands of people on the road and the wrong decision will be rectified once again."
The writ further quotes Dahal saying that he had asked the court not to support Oli's move, which would derail the peace process and the country would once again fall into the dark tunnel of violence. Hearing on the case is scheduled for tomorrow.
On January 26, two separate cases of contempt of court were filed against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and a case of contempt of court was filed at the apex court against former speaker of the House of Representatives Daman Nath Dhungana for similar statements.
Next day, a separate contempt of court case was registered at the Supreme Court against four former chief justices who had issued a joint statement against the House dissolution.
Advocate Lochan Bhattarai had filed the contempt of court case against four former chief justices Anup Raj Sharma, Kalyan Shrestha, Sushila Karki and Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, saying that their joint statement was a direct interference in a case sub-judice in the court.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 2, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
