Kathmandu, August 2

The Supreme Court today continued hearing on the habeas corpus writ petition filed by Kaplana Upreti Sharma, wife of Director General of Inland Revenue Department Chudamani Sharma.

Kalpana has argued in her writ petition that her husband’s detention is illegal and he should be set free.

Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against Sharma, and two other office bearers of erstwhile Tax Settlement Commission  — Lumbadhwaj Mahat and Umesh Dhakal — accusing them of embezzling revenue while serving as office bearers of the TSC.

A five member full bench of Justices Deepak Raj Joshee, Deepak Kumar Karki, Kedar Prasad Chalise, Sharada Prasad Ghimire and Anil Kumar Sinha is hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Kalpana.  The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for Sunday.

Attorney General Raman Kumar Shrestha pleaded on behalf of the government, saying that the CIAA, being a constitutional commission had the authority to probe

the work of TSC office bearers.

Senior Advocate Borna Bahadur Karki, and lawyers Narendra Prasad Pathak, Parshuram Koirala and Chetanath Ghimire also pleaded on behalf of the CIAA.

Petitioner’s lawyers will have chance to rebut the arguments presented by the attorney of the CIAA and the government on Sunday.

The Supreme Court had yesterday sent IRD DG Sharma to judicial custody.

The SC has ordered the Special Court to maintain status quo on the corruption case filed against Sharma.