Karki’s son-in-law furnishes written statement to SC

KATHMANDU, Nov 17: Prabal Thapa, who was allegedly involved in obstructing Supreme Court staffers from furnishing court notice to Lokman Singh Karki, the suspended Chief Commissioner at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), has furnished his written statement to the apex court on Thursday in a contempt of court case.

Furnishing his written statement, Thapa, who is Karki’s son-in-law, has claimed that he had actually supported the court staffers in the process of handing over the court notice to Karki and not obstructed them.

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Thapa has argued that he had informed the court staffers that Karki’s family has been living on the premises of the CIAA and advised them to go there and hand over the notice.

“It would be unfair to charge me with contempt of court for providing true information to the court staffers and interpret my action as an obstruction to the court procedure,” Thapa has claimed in the written statement. 

Advocate Om Prasad Aryal had filed the contempt of court case on November 3 against Karki, Thapa and others accusing them of obstructing the process of serving the court summons. The chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank and former Law Secretary Pramod Karki and Assistant sub-inspector Nakul Raj Gautam of the Metropolitan Police Circle, Baneshwar have also been named as defendants in the case.

A single bench of Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai on November 8 had ordered Karki and others to be present before the court in person within seven days with clarification. Karki had reached the apex court on Tuesday and furnished his written clarification. He has argued that the case should be quashed as the court notice was served at his private residence which has been rented out instead of serving it at his official residence in Tangal.

There are four other cases against Karki -- one questioning his eligibility for the post of CIAA chief and another demanding halt to the perks and benefits being provided to Karki -- sub judice. An impeachment motion against Karki is under discussion in parliament.