KATHMANDU: Nagarik Unmukti Party patron Resham Chaudhary was released from Dillibazar Prison on Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the order for his arrest was unauthorized and unofficial.
The court has now initiated legal proceedings against the official responsible for issuing the disputed letter without proper clearance.
Chaudhary had been detained earlier that day at the Nepal Academy (Pragya Bhawan), where he was attending a program to announce the unification of the Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janamat Party.
His arrest, based on what was believed to be a Supreme Court order, led to the cancellation of the much-anticipated event.
Later in the evening, the Supreme Court issued a statement clarifying that the arrest letter was not officially approved.
“The letter was not sanctioned by the administration and is therefore invalid,” said Supreme Court Deputy Registrar and Spokesperson Achyut Kuinkel. A follow-up order was issued directing authorities to disregard the initial letter.
Acting on the court’s clarification, the prison administration released Chaudhary, confirming they had received fresh instructions. “We released him after completing the required procedures following the new court order,” said a Dillibazar Jail official.
Investigations revealed that Mahiman Singh Bista, a section officer from the Writ and Case Division of the Supreme Court, had issued and dispatched the arrest order on his own accord. Bista has since been taken into custody for further investigation and may face legal action.
An internal inquiry by the court found that the arrest order was issued while Chaudhary’s case was still under judicial review, breaching standard court protocol.
The incident triggered confusion and unrest within the judiciary and the political arena throughout the day.
