Supreme Court full bench hears IG appointment case

KATHMANDU: A full bench of the Supreme Court on Sunday began the final hearing on three writs filed against the appointment of DIG Jaya Bahadur Chand to the post of Nepal Police IG.

The full bench comprising Chief Justice Sushila Karki and justices Hari Krishna Karki, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Anil Kumar Sinha heard the writs filed by advocate Kapil Dev Dhakal and DIG Nawa Raj Silwal.

It is likely that the bench would issue a final verdict today.

A division bench of Justice duo Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Tej Bahadur KC had passed the case to the full bench considering the seriousness of the issue on Thursday.

The government on February 12 had appointed Chand to the post of Nepal Police Chief.

The Court, however, had stayed the decision after it was moved against the appointment claiming the decision violated the tradition of seniority.

Advocate Kapil Dev Dhakal had filed the case.

The next day, the Court had again barred Chand from assuming office in response to another writ filed by his batchmate DIG Nawa Raj Silwal.

Silwal had claimed that he was the most senior among four DIGs eligible for the top post and therefore, he should have been appointed.

Hearing on both the writs had begun on February 22.

Concluding rounds of the hearing, the Court on March 1 had ordered that the stay orders issued earlier would continue till the final verdict.