Judiciary corruption scandal: Verdicts weren’t affected, says panel

Kathmandu, July 31:

The Supreme Court judges’ panel, formed to investigate alleged conversations between Rajesh Shakya and SC section officer Baburam Dahal over attempting to influence a case, submitted its report yesterday.

The three-member panel has concluded that the conversation between the two had no grounds to influence the court verdict. It, however, suggested the authority take departmental action against corrupt officials and adopt policies and programmes to promote people’s confidence in the judiciary.

Assistant Spokesperson of the Supreme Court Hemanta Rawal told journalists that the panel comprising judges Top Bahadur Magar, Damodar Prasad Sharma and Ram Kumar Prasad Shah submitted the report to the Chief Justice.

After receiving the report, the CJ asked Registrar Dr Ram Krishna Timalsena to forward it to the next full court meeting for necessary action. “The panel has concluded that the conversation between Dahal and Shakya had no grounds to influence the court verdicts,” Rawal said, citing the report.

He added that verdicts issued in the cases were genuine and the conversations had not affected them in any manner.

The panel had interrogated 19 persons involved in the case.