SC Orders Govt to Produce Arrested Leaders

Kathmandu, Feb 12-The Supreme Court today issued an order to the government authorities to produce about two dozen political leaders before it in order to test the legality of the their detention.

Responding to a habeas corpus petition, a single bench of justice Top Bahadur Magar issued the order to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Police Headquarters and the Kathmandu District Administration Office, the City Police Anamnagar to produce 13 political detainees including former lawmaker Sushila Nepal on February 15.

The bench ordered the authorities to produce leaders Shiv Kumari Khanal, Tirtha Gautam, Sudha Tirpathi, Shobha Sapkota, Radha Humagain, Ratna Shobha Maharjan, Pavitra Paudel, Sabitra Bhusal, Kabita Paudel, Tham Maya Thapa, Shanti Shrestha and Ratna Gurung before the court on February 15.

Similarly, the bench also ordered to produce a group of 3 political activists including, Bhim Bahadur Thapa, another four-member group of Dipak Bista and Ghanashyam Pandey on February 16 and former Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Bidur Mainali, on February 17.

Similarly, a separate habeas corpus petition was filed at the apex court seeking its order to release former Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Subhash Chandra Nembang, and youth leaders Yogesh Bhattarai and Rup Narayan Shrestha.

The political leaders were arrested two weeks ago while demonstrating against the civil polls.