The Supreme Court has ordered the government to furnish written clarification about its decision to appoint Deputy Inspector General Jaya Bahadur Chand as the new Inspector General of Nepal Police, suspending his appointment.

A single bench of Chief Justice Sushila Karki ordered the government to submit the Cabinet decision regarding the appointment to the top Nepal Police post through the Office of the Attorney General within 15 days.

Advocate Kapil Dev Bhatta had filed a case at the apex court on February 10, after reports that Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had been pressing Deputy PM and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi to appoint Chand as the new IG. 

The petitioner argued that Chand ranked third in seniority among candidates for the police chief job. According to records with the police organisation, DIG Nawaraj Silwal and DIG Prakash Aryal were his seniors.

Advocates Shambhu Thapa, Badri Bahadur Karki, Tulasi Bhatta, Bhimarjun Acharya and Om Prakash Aryal, on behalf of the plaintiff, argued that the appointment was made in breach of the Nepal Police Act and Regulations that set competency, performance, seniority and managerial capability as the criteria for appointment. 

The litigants warned that competency should be the basis for appointing the chief of the security agency. They argued that random picks would threaten national security. 

DIG Silwal has also filed a case in the SC demanding that Chand’s appointment as the IG be annulled. Silwal argues that he is senior most officer to be appointed to the post. Hearing of his petition is scheduled for Monday.