KATHMANDU, Jan 8: Political pressure has mounted on the Office of the Attorney General to refrain from filing a writ petition against former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand at the Supreme Court (SC). Due to pressure, the Office of the Attorney General has not submitted an application to the SC against the order of the Patan High Court to release Khand on a bail of Rs 3 million.

If the Office of the Attorney General submits a petition to the SC against Patan High Court's order, there is a possibility that Khand will be imprisoned again if the hearing is conducted. If the Office of the Attorney General does not appeal to the SC against Patan High Court's order, then the former minister Khand will be able to stay out of jail until the case of the fake Bhutanese refugee scam is resolved.

"Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has requested the Office of the Attorney General not to go to the SC against Khand as there is a lot of pressure from the top leadership of the Nepali Congress, so all the processes have been halted," said a high source in the Office of the Attorney General. Yet, no decision has been made to approach the SC.

A case was filed against the politicians, employees and middlemen involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam in Kathmandu District Court in May on charges of actions against the national interest, fraud and organized crime.

Judge Prem Prasad Neupane ordered the release of 16 individuals who appeared in the court on June 16, 2023 and two people were to be released on bail. During that time, Bal Krishna Khand was not released. 

Against the order of the Kathmandu District Court, former minister Khand and other accused approached Patan High Court. On December 1, judges Janak Pandey and Prakash Kharel presented differing opinions regarding the case of Khand. The third judge Krishna Ram Koirala upheld the opinion expressed by Janak Pandey on December 14 that Khand should be released on a bail of Rs 3 million. Two days later, Khand was released on bail.

After Khand came out of prison, the government lawyers faced pressured not to approach the SC against him. An assistant lawyer said, “He is out on bail now. If the government lawyers go to the SC, there is a risk that they will have to go through trouble again and if the same happens, the order of the High Court will be overturned, so the pressure has increased on the Office of the Attorney General not to appeal to the SC against former home minister Khand.”

 
• Political_pressure
 
• Office_of_the_Attorney_General
 
• Bal_Krishna_Khand
 
• SC
 
• writ_petition