Kathmandu, May 13:

Demanding the Supreme Court intervention to scrap the cabinet’s controversial decision of sacking Chief of Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal and appointing his deputy Kul Bahadur Khadka as the acting army chief, a writ petition has been filed at the apex court today.

Advocate Damodar Paudel filed the petition. He has made the Office of the Prime Minister, the Council of Minister and Khadka as the defendants in his petition. The cabinet on May 3 decided to oust Katawal and appoint his deputy Khadka as the acting CoAS. However, the President vetoed the cabinet’s decision the same evening.

“Since the cabinet’s decision has been overruled by the President’s decision, Katawal is now the CoAS of the Nepali Army and Khadka his deputy. The apex court intervention into the issue is required as the cabinet’s decision has put the peace process in peril,” the petitioner argued.

He also added that the government did not have the authority to sack the CoAS without consulting the head of the state who is also the Supreme Commander of the Nepali Army.