Kathmandu, April 18:

About 37 political detainees, including former minister Bidhya Devi Bhandari and former member of the Upper House, Tham Maya Thapa, Khim Lal Bhattarai, Thakur Gaire, Yagya Sunuwar, Dr Birendra Prasad Mishra and Rambir Manandhar, were released today following a Supreme Court order.

Prior to the release, they were produced in the Kathmandu District Court (KDC). A division bench of justices Balram KC and Paramananda Jha had ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police Headquarters to release all the 37 political detainees.

The bench also ordered government lawyer Brajesh Pyakurel to find out whether or not ANNISU vice-president Ram Kumar Basnet has been released.

Even as chief district officer of Kathmandu Shushil Ghimire claimed today in a written affidavit that Basnet has been released, defence lawyers refuted the claim. The bench called defend lawyers, Subhash Nembang, Agni Kharel, Hari Uprety, Tikaram Bhattarai and Ramesh Badal, to file a contempt of court case against the CDO if Ghimire’s claim turns out to be false.

The defence lawyers accused the CDO of making a false claim about the status of ANNISU leader Basnet. Talking to this daily, Basnet, who has been detained at the Singhdurbar ward police office, accused the government of hatching a conspiracy against him. “I am still in custody. The CDO has lied to the SC about my status,” Basnet said.

Meanwhile, the apex court issued show case notices to the government authorities to furnish details on the detention of journalists Bal Kumar Nepal, Gagan Thapa, Dipak Oli, Rohit Kumar Dahal, Surojung Pandey, Bhimsen Rajbahak, Govinda Prasad Chaulagain, Sushil Aryal, Dev Raj Aryal, Indra Baniya, Kiran Pokhrel, Shambhu Shrestha, Rajendra Phuyal, Bharat Raj Pokhrel, Prakash Silwal, Balkrishna Chapagain, Punya Prasad Bhandari, Devraj Rimal and Ganesh Basnet. They were arrested on Saturday.

A division bench of justice Damodar Prasad Sharma ordered the Home Ministry and Police Headquarters and then the Kathmandu District Administration Office to furnish explanations on their status within April 20. The bench said it would conduct a final hearing to test the legitimacy of their detention once the explanation was furnished.

Detention order renewed

KATHMANDU: The government on Tuesday renewed detention orders of NC leaders Ram Chandra Paudel, Narahari Acharya and human rights campaigners Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, Dr Mathura Das Shrestha, Shyam Shrestha and Krishna Pahadi by three months. — HNS