Kathmandu, March 12:

The Patan Appellate Court today ordered the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) to postpone its elections, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

A single bench of justice Hari Bahadur Basnet issued the Interlocutory stay order to the NOC to postpone the elections till the next hearing on March 16. The bench issued the order following today’s hearing seeking the court’s intervention on the issue.

Kishor Bahadur Karki, president of Nepal Shooting Association (NSA) had on Sunday filed the writ petition demanding its prohibitory order.

The bench also called the defendants — the NOC and Puspa Das Shrestha, who claims himself as the president of Nepal Shooting Association — to attend the court hearing on March 16 in order to discuss whether to issue the stay order as demanded by the writ petitioner.

Karki, who claimed the committee led by him possesses the national and international affiliation, had moved the court seeking the prohibitory order to stop the elections after the NOC invited Pushpa Das Shrestha to attend the general assembly of the Nepal Olympic Committee. The court also issued show cause notices to the defendants to submit the written explanation on the issue within 15 days.

“I was forced to knock the doors after the NOC and Puspa Das Shrestha tried to foul play in the name of the Nepal Shooting Association,” said Karki. “I sued Shrestha as he illegally accepted the NSA president’s invitation for the NOC elections and the NOC for inviting the wrong representative from the NSA,” he said.

NOC general secretary Pradhan said that the general assembly would be held as per the schedule. “There is no problem for the general assembly, but as far as election is concerned I cannot say anything right now,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anil Sharma of Nepal Hockey Association withdrew his writ petition filed at the Supreme Court. The apex court ordered the defendants — NOC, National Sports Council, Education and Sports Ministry, and Home Ministry — to appear before the court on March 16 after hearing the separate writ petition filed by NOC member Poonam Lama. She moved the court claiming the NOC was holding the elections before the expiry of the four-year term.