KATHMANDU, Jan 17: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has said that their attention has been drawn to the physical attack, verbal abuse and threatening actions on senior advocate Dr Dinesh Tripathi on January 15.
A press statement issued today by the Secretary of the SCBA, Raman Kumar Karna, mentioned that the SCBA’s attention has been drawn toward the behavior of the anarchic group against senior advocate Dr Tripathi, based on the arguments he made on behalf of the victims of the Swarnalaxmi Cooperative fraud case in the Kathmandu District Court. Senior Advocate Tripathi, a member of the SCBA, was attacked by a group, purported to be the supporters of Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane, while he was exiting the court after presenting arguments representing the cooperative victims.
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The statement mentioned, “The right to defend oneself through a lawyer is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal. It is the opinion of the SCBA that any physical or mental assault, including violence and abuse, against lawyers is a well-planned attack not only on lawyers but on the independent judiciary and the constitution as a whole.
The SCBA has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs and related agencies to conduct a fair and independent investigation including listening to the accounts of the eyewitnesses, reviewing videos and related evidence of this incident, and take immediate action against the culprits in accordance with the law and make necessary arrangements in this regard so that such incidents do not recur in the future.
The SCBA has stated that such incidents hinder the process of justice delivery by the independent judiciary, as such actions are also acts of contempt of court, and that all parties need to be sensitive to this matter.
