Upreti, 65, committed suicide at his home on Sunday night, leaving a suicide note.

The last rites of Upreti were performed by cremating his figurine made of the kusa grass as per the Hindu rituals, according to Chet Raj Upreti, his younger brother.

In the suicide note he wrote, the former judge Upreti stated that he took his own life out of his own will and asked the family members to hand over the body to the TUTH, and if TUTH turned it down, to another teaching hospital. He had also written in his suicide note to provide Rs 500,000 equivalent to the expenses for his funeral rites to the earthquake victims, senior advocate Ramnath Mainali, who is related to the Upretis, said.

Upreti, who had worked as the temporary judge at the Supreme Court, had resigned before the termination of his tenure after not being granted a promotion to the post of permanent judge.

Before becoming a judge at the Supreme Court, he worked as legal advisor at the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and other institutions.

He was jobless after his retirement after it was constitutionally stipulated that a person who has served as the judge could not hold any post except an office-bearer of the National Human Rights Commission.

According to Mainali, Upreti in the suicide note mentioned that he has been dealt a blow after the Nepal Bar Association barred him from engaging in 'chamber practice' as well.

NBA Vice-president Tikaram Bhattarai said the Bar was shocked by Upreti's death and would discuss and analyse the topics mentioned in his suicide note, later.

Upreti was born in Linkhu VDC of Sindhupalchok district and had been living in Gyaneshwar, Kathmandu. He was survived by a wife, a son and two daughters.