KATHMANDU, July 24:Claiming that news reports published in Nagarik daily about the court proceedings on a defamation suit filed by the then Managing Director of Nepal Oil Corporation Gopal Khadka against Nagarik daily was defamatory, Khadka’s attorney-in-fact has filed a contempt of court case against Nagarik.

Khadka’s attorney-in-fact Motilal Tamang filed the case claiming that the news reports related to his petition, which had claimed that the publishers of Nagarik daily and Kathmandu District Court judge Kailash Prasad Subedi were kin, amounted to contempt of court. 

Managing Director of Nepal Republic Media Pvt Ltd (NRM) Binod Raj Gyawali; Director Shobha Gyawali; Editor-in-Chief of Nagarik Guna Raj Luitel; and reporter Dilip Paudel have been made defendants in the contempt of court case.

The court has ordered the newspaper officials to submit their written explanations within 15 days in relation to the contempt of court case.

On June 5, Judge Subedi had recused himself from the case although the petitioner could not prove kinship between Subedi and Nagarik publishers. 

Following that event, the case was submitted for final hearing but it was postponed again when Khadka’s attorney-in-fact filed the contempt of court case against Nagarik officials.

Section 30 of Court Procedure Chapter of Muluki Ain prohibits judges from deciding cases involving their nearest relatives.

The defamation case filed by Khadka demanding Rs 800 million in damages from the officials of the publication house and the counter claim filed on behalf the Nagarik publishers worth Rs 1.5 million in damages is awaiting final verdict of the court.

Another case filed by NRM Managing Director Gyawali against Khadka claiming Rs 500 million in damages from Khadka for making defamatory statement against the former is also awaiting court verdict.

 
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