KATHMANDU, Aug 5: Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) chief Lok Man Singh Karki has been dillydallying over acknowledging a show cause notice issued by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case.

The single bench of Justice Govinda Kumar Upadhyay on July 11 ordered CIAA chief Karki to furnish a written reply within three days of receiving the notice why the court should not take action against him.

The apex court had issued the notice in response to a contempt of court case filed by Shanta Dixit, the wife of journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, claiming that the anti-graft body did not obey the court's earlier order to carry out investigations or summon an individual only after coming up with concrete evidence and taking a formal decision.

Though the apex court has issued the show cause notice in the contempt case, the CIAA chief has been avoiding the court messenger and not acknowledging the court notice, said a court staffer.

"Our tameldar (court messenger) had reached the CIAA office on July 15 with the notice. But our messenger was not allowed to enter the CIAA premises and was later informed that Karki was not at office because of illness," said a court source.

The source claimed that the court administration has asked the messenger to go to the CIAA again on Sunday. "If he keeps on avoiding our staffer, we will paste up the notice at his address," said the source.

Though the division bench of then chief justice Kalyan Shrestha and Justice Om Prakash Mishra in January reminded the anti-graft body that no action should be taken against anyone without citing jurisdiction and purpose as per existing law, the CIAA on April 22 arrested Kanak Mani Dixit without first meeting the court requirements. The division bench also stated that the letter issued by the CIAA for summoning Dixit had not mentioned any legal provision or the purpose of the summons.

 
• commission for investigation of abuse of authority
 
• ciaa
 
• lok man singh karki