KATHMANDU, Aug 15: The Supreme Court on Sunday decided to give continuity to the interim order to the District Land Reform Office, Lalitpur and the Department of Revenue Investigation not to carry out any action against Kanak Mani Dixit, a noted journalist and chairman of Sajha Yatayat.
The division bench of justices Hari Krishna Karki and Dr Aananda Mohan Bhattarai gave continuity to the previous order after hearing to lawyers from both sides on Sunday. Earlier on August 3, responding to a writ petition filed by Dixit, a single bench of Justice Karki had issued the interim order and summoned all eight defendants, including the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), for Sunday's hearing to discuss whether the interim order should be continued or not.
Dixit had filed the writ petition claiming that the Land Reform Office (LRO) had started the process of confiscating land owned by his family accusing him of possessing land in excess of the government-set ceiling, and that LRO had acted as per biased directives issued by the CIAA. Likewise, he also claimed that the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has been investigating him as per the CIAA directives.
In response to the petition, the division bench on Sunday ordered the defendants not to carry out further investigation until the court gives its final verdict on the case and also ordered not to arrest, take Dixit in custody or summon him to record statement in the particular case.
Dixit was arrested by the CIAA on April 22 on charge of amassing property through illegal means. He was later released following a Supreme Court order.
LRO disregards SC order not to seize Dixit’s land
