The Supreme Court has sought clarification from Lokman Singh Karki, who currently remains suspended as the chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), and his supporters for “obstructing judicial proceedings”.

The apex court has asked Karki and his aides, who face the charge of obstructing court officials in the course of their duty, to appear before court in person to furnish written clarification in seven days.

A single bench of Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai on Tuesday ordered the defendants to appear before court within seven days to explain why they should not be punished.

The defendants include Karki’s son-in-law Prabal Thapa, Pramod Karki, a former secretary at the Ministry of Law, and Nepal Police Sub-Inspector Nakul Raj Gautam, who had blocked an apex court team’s third attempt on October 17 to deliver summons to Karki. On October 6, the apex court again sent a dispatcher to paste the summons at Karki’s house in Naya Baneshwor. But the notice could not be served after the court official

tasked with delivering the summons “went out of contact” suddenly.

When court officials went to deliver summons again on October 17, some locals, including those named as defendants, had barred them from delivering the notice in which Karki has been asked to defend his position regarding his appointment as the chief of the anti-graft body.

Weeks later, Advocate Om Prakash Aryal, who has also challenged Karki’s appointment as the chief of the anti-graft body, on November 3 filed a writ petition against Karki for abusing his authority to influence officials to delay the delivery of court summons.

“Karki must learn a lesson and should respect the law,” said Aryal in response to the court summons. Besides, a supplementary application has been filed at the court by Aryal seeking an interim order to terminate all the facilities given to Karki.

The hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.

Karki was automatically suspended on October 19 after 157 CPN (Maoist Centre) and CPN-UML lawmakers registered an impeachment motion against him.

Parliament, which has already taken up the motion for debate, will start discussion on the motion from Friday.