Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Opposition lawmakers have objected to the arrest of former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana in the middle of the night and his release within a few hours.
Speaking at the meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday, they raised questions about the legal process and the use of state machinery.
CPN-UML Chief Whip Ain Bahadur Mahar described Rana’s arrest as a brutal example of state terror. Expressing dissatisfaction over Rana’s arrest from his residence on the night of September 26, he said: “The government has presented a brutal example of state terror by arresting a respected and distinguished person like a former chief justice from his residence in the middle of the night in a manner resembling an abduction. This is an extreme violation of the state and the rule of law.”
Mahar said the government’s practice of arresting former officeholders soon after its formation had raised questions about its intentions. “Since the government was formed, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and even a former chief justice have been arrested in the middle of the night and detained at their homes. This does not demonstrate a democratic character; rather, it shows a pattern of authoritarianism and arbitrariness,” he said.
Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Whip Yubaraj Dulal alleged that Rana’s arrest and subsequent release demonstrated the practice of an unlawful state in the country. He said the government’s decision to arrest Rana in the middle of the night and release him just a few hours later had ridiculed democracy.
“Arresting someone in the middle of the night without an arrest warrant or reason and releasing him before 12 hours have passed—is this a state governed by law? What kind of stunt is the government trying to pull?” Dulal said.
He also questioned whether the government was following legal procedures or moving toward anarchy. “Is this government following the legal path or heading toward anarchy? Arresting someone and then using security threats as an excuse has raised serious questions about the country’s justice system,” he said.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Bharat Giri said the arrest of former Chief Justice Rana from his residence in the middle of the night amounted to misuse of state machinery. He said the arrest, carried out by bypassing legal procedures, had ridiculed the rule of law.
Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP) lawmaker Dhruvaraj Rai also objected to the government’s decision to arrest Rana and release him the following day.
“The government should stop making a spectacle of such serious issues,” he said.
