Interim order issued against decision to suspend Gandaki lawmaker Devkota

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order against the decision to suspend Gandaki Province Assembly member Fanindra Devkota.

After a hearing on Monday, a single bench of Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut issued an order to not implement the decisions of the CPN (Maoist Center) and Gandaki Speaker Krishna Prasad Dhital to suspend Devkota.

The parliamentary party of the Maoist Center in the Gandaki Province Assembly suspended Devkota on June 14 after he defied the party whip to support the vote of confidence motion tabled by Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey.

Devkota, a Nepal Samajbadi Party (NSP) leader, was elected to the Gandaki Province Assembly using the election symbol of the Maoist Center. After passing the floor test, Chief Minister Pandey appointed Devkota as the Minister for Energy and Water Supply. He was relieved of the position following his suspension.

Devkota had challenged the decision to suspend him in the Supreme Court on June 20.