The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs to present a clarification in writing as to why former Maoist child soldier Lenin Bista was barred from travelling to Thailand for attending a workshop.

A single bench of SC Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai issued the order in the name of Home Ministry.

Bista on Friday had filed a writ petition at the apex court challenging the Tribhuvan International Airport Immigration Department’s move to stop him from travelling to Thailand. He argued that the move was against the law.

The immigration officials had stopped Bista on August 24 from boarding a flight to Thailand at Kathmandu airport. Bista, who has long been campaigning for justice for hundreds of former child combatants who fought during the decade-long Maoist insurgency, has been accused of embezzling funds of former fighters’ organization.

Prior to this, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had also sought written clarification from Ministry of Home Affairs for stopping Bista from travelling to Thailand.