National
Final hearing on IGP case to continue
A final hearing on the government’s controversial decision on appointment of the Inspector General of Nepal Police began on Sunday.A final hearing on the government’s controversial decision on appointment of the Inspector General of Nepal Police began on Sunday.
A full bench of Chief Justice Sushila Karki and Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Anil Kumar Sinha will continue the hearing on Monday. Representatives of Advocate Kapil Dev Dhakal and Deputy Inspector General Nawa Raj Silwal, the petitioners, recorded their statements on Sunday.
The representatives of the defendants—the government and Jaya Bahadur Chand, who was promoted as the Nepal Police chief—are set to argue on Monday.
Attorney General Raman Shrestha had raised questions about the inclusion of justices involved in the previous order in the bench but CJ Karki brushed the issue aside reasoning that it would not matter in an issue of public importance.
Following the CJ’s stance, Chand’s representatives had left the hearing. On February 12, a single bench of the CJ issued an interim order, staying the decision to appoint Chand as the IGP. DIG Silwal has staked his claim to the post as the senior most candidate.
Advocate Kapil Dev Dhakal filed a writ petition on February 10, accusing the government of trying to violate the rule of seniority while appointing the police chief. DIG Silwal moved the SC on February 12, seeking an order to put Chand’s appointment on hold.