Corruption case against Pyuthan judge

Kathmandu, Sept 18 - In the first-ever case against a sitting judge, the Judicial Council (JC) has decided to file corruption charges against Pyuthan District Court Judge Birendra Kumar Karna, newspaper reports said Sunday.

" King Gyanendra has already accepted the JC decision, and the council is filing a corruption case against Karna, Sunday at the Tulsipur Appellate Court, Dang district" The Kathmandu Post quoted a source as saying

A royal permission, as mandated by the Judicial Council Act, is required before filing a corruption case against a sitting district or appellate court judge.

The Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) had caught Karna "red-handed" taking a bribe of Rs 20,000 on March 23 and arrested him. The controversial royal "anti-graft" panel had then convicted Karna on corruption charges and had recommended the king for necessary action. But the king had sent back the case to the JC for necessary action because of protests from the legal community. The council had carried out a fresh investigation into the case by forming a probe committee of Justice Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, without recognizing the investigation of the RCCC. The committee found Karna 'guilty'.

Judge Karna faces suspension from the date of filing the case (Sunday) and it will be in force until his case is finalized in the court. If he gets a clean chit from the court, he will be reinstated to the post.

Meanwhile, the JC has also recommended Nepal Bar Council to take disciplinary action against lawyer Megha Raj Bhatta, who had allegedly given the bribe to Judge Karna.