SC seeks written response from Gagan in contempt of court case

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has sought a written response from Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa in a contempt of court case.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sapana Malla Pradhan and Justice Nityananda Pandey issued on Tuesday, hearing a writ petition filed by Advocates Bishal Thapa, Anant Raj Luintel and Avima Upreti.

Thapa had, last week, accused the Supreme Court of delaying decisions on 52 cases related to constitutional appointments, alleging that the court was “dealing” with them instead of resolving them.

During the hearing, Advocate Luintel argued that since the matter is tied to the dignity and trust of the dignitary, the bench must take it seriously. “Where and with whom has the court made a deal? Either evidence must be provided, or Thapa must face legal consequences,” he added.

Speaking at a talk program in Kathmandu on the occasion of Democracy Day, Thapa had said that the Supreme Court has been “dealing” with the appointment of officials in constitutional bodies. “For the past two to three years, the honorable court has been delaying cases related to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and other matters,” Thapa said. “Sometimes it says ‘under consideration’, sometimes ‘not enough time’, or ‘will be reviewed tomorrow.’ This raises questions about the court’s credibility.”