Kathmandu, June 17:

The Supreme Court today issued summons to editors of Jana Aastha Weekly to attend the court to defend a contempt of court charge against them.

Last week, the weekly had published a report linking Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Paudel to a sex scandal. Responding to a suo moto notice, a single bench of justice Pawan Kumar Ojha issued the summons.

The bench ordered the editor of the weekly Kishor Shrestha, managing director Rajendra Sthapit, sub-editor Chudamani Bhattarai and acting chief of the Jaisi Deval Prison office Rajendra Adhikari to attend the court on June 25 to record their statements.

The bench said action should be initiated against the editors as per article 102 (3) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007 and section 7 (1) of the Supreme Court Act 1991.

Taking the case as a criminal offence, the bench said that the defendants can neither seek the extension of time given to them to attend the court nor can they send their representatives to the court.

Joint-registrar Durga Prasad Dawadi and spokesperson for the apex court, had submitted a report to the chief justice, suggesting stern action against the defendants. The chief justice had assigned the case to justice Ojha’s bench for hearing.