Kathmandu, January 17 

The Supreme Court has taken action against nine High Court judges, including five Biratnagar High Court judges, for issuing erroneous judgment or orders.

The Supreme Court has transferred Biratnagar High Court judges — Nagendra Labh Karna, Saranga Subedi, Thira Bahadur Karki, Umesh Kumar Singh and Umesh Raj Paudel — to the Judicial Council secretariat as part of the action, according to an SC source. The source could not confirm names of four other judges.

The SC decided to take action against the five Biratnagar judges after the Judiciary Oversight Mechanism formed by SC Chief Justice Cholendra SJB Rana recommended the same after finding that the judges had erred in their order to release the police officers accused in the 33kg gold smuggling case.

A district court had earlier decided not to send the accused driver and loader to judicial custody and only to send the accused police officers to custody. However, Biratnagar High Court decided to release the police officers on bail and general court date and to send the loader and driver to judicial custody, according to the source.

Judge Karki, however, expressed ignorance about the development. “I have not yet received any communication from the SC on any such action,” he told The Himalayan Times.

SC Spokesperson Bhadrakali Pokharel confirmed the transfer of nine High Court judges to the Judicial Council and other High Courts on deputation. He, however, did not elaborate.