A single bench of Justice Gyanendra Bahadur Karki on Thursday ordered Dahal to appear before the court in person within three days or to furnish clarification in writing through a bearer of the power of attorney. [break]
Advocate Dinesh Tripathi on Monday had moved the apex court accusing Dahal of making a public statement against the judiciary. Addressing a function in the capital on last Wednesday, Dahal had said, “Which caste and ethnicity does the court [SC] belong to?” He had also warned that his party would revolt if insurgency-era cases against Maoist leaders and cadres were revived.
Tripathi has maintained that Dahal tried to defame the judiciary by questioning the impartiality and credibility of SC. Tripathi, in the application, has further argued that Dahal has made a mockery of the judiciary by saying that no case can be filed against political leaders and cadres.
“It is a serious challenge to judicial independence and rule of law to say that a court cannot oversee cases against a particular political party and that it cannot convict them on the basis of available evidences and existing laws,” the application on contempt of court reads. “The court should exercise zero tolerance against such threats,” reads the application.
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