Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 14:

Responding to a habeas corpus petition, the Supreme Court today ordered the government authorities to submit written explanations within three days why general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Bishnu Nisthuri, is kept in detention.

Following a hearing, a single bench of justice Khil Raj Regmi issued the order to the authorities including the Ministries of Home and Defence, Nepal Police headquarters, Armed Police Force, Royal Nepalese Army, Kathmandu District Administration Office and Singh Durbar Ward Police Office. Nisthuri is kept in Singhdurbar Ward Police Office, Anamnagar, without any detention notice.

Senior advocate Bishow Kanta Mainali, advocates Sher Bahadur KC, Tika Ram Bhattarai, Ishwori Bhattarai and Shanta Sedain pleaded on behalf of Nisthuri. They sought the apex court order for Nisthuri’s release, saying there was no ground to detain him.

They argued it was illegal to detain him without giving detention notice. Meanwhile, government authorities today released former president of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA), Sindhu Nath Pyakurel, after producing him before the apex court. The court on February 9 ordered the authorities to produce Pyakurel for hearing in the habeas corpus petition filed by NBA chief Shambhu Thapa. “This morning, security forces left me at my house and said that they would inform the apex court of my release,” he added.

“My arrest was illegal, but I have nothing to complain about the security forces’ behaviour during the period of my detention,” Pyakurel told this daily.