KATHMANDU, May 19: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a show-cause order to the government in response to a writ petition filed by former Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and others challenging the arrest warrant issued against them in a money laundering investigation.
The order was issued on Tuesday by a single bench of Justice Meghraj Pokharel after the petitioners sought a certiorari order against the warrant issued by the Kathmandu District Court.
According to the petition, authorities are investigating the petitioners on charges of money laundering and had obtained arrest warrants from the Kathmandu District Court to detain and question them.
Hearing concludes on writ petition against arrest warrant issue...
However, the petitioners argued that cases related to money laundering fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Court, making the district court’s order legally invalid. They also maintained that they are prepared to cooperate fully with investigators and that there is no justification for their arrest.
The petition further states that the applicants, considering their age and circumstances, are willing to clarify the sources of any disputed assets and assist in the investigation whenever required.
The SC has directed the respondents to submit a written response through the Office of the Attorney General within 15 days, explaining why the order sought by the petitioners should not be granted.
The apex court has also scheduled a hearing on the petitioners’ request for an interim order for May 21, stating that arguments from both sides are necessary before a decision can be made.
In addition, the top court ordered that the case be given priority status and instructed authorities to present the original investigation files during the interim hearing.
