SC condemns govt for defying orders

Kathmandu, Oct 1 - In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court has condemned the government for defying its order by re-arresting Maoist student leader Krishna KC from inside the court premises on September 22.

The court has demanded that the government investigate the incident, punish the guilty involved in the re-arrest drama and inform the court about the punishment. Similarly, the court has warned the government not to repeat such acts.

A meeting of the Full Court, the apex policy making body of the judiciary, took a decision to this effect on Wednesday, according to a justice at the Supreme Court.

Knowledgeable sources said this is the first time so far in the history of Nepal's judiciary, that the apex court has condemned the government for defying its order.

Some security personnel in plainclothes had rearrested KC from the Supreme Court building and abused court officials. Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel even had to call the Vice-Chairman of the Council of the Ministers Dr Tulsi Giri and the Home Ministry "to respect the court order". But CJ Poudel's call was ignored.

KC's re-arrest is one in a string of re-arrests after the royal takeover. According to data collected by the Post, security personnel have re-arrested as many as 12 detainees in defiance of Supreme Court orders since February 1.

During the last eight months, the SC had to draw the government's attention and even pass strictures on arrests. But all these orders have had no effect on the government. Vice-chairmen of the Council of Ministers, Dr Giri and Kirti Nidhi Bista face contempt of court cases, one each, over re-arrests. Similarly Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi faces five contempt of court cases on the same charge.