Kathmandu, October 1
The Supreme Court has refused to order the release of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) treasurer Rabindra Joshi and accountant Sanjiv Pandey.
A joint bench of Supreme Court justices Binod Sharma and Sunil Kumar Pokharel rejected separate habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of Joshi and Pandey, ruling that their detention for investigation was lawful.
Joshi’s wife, Shobha Joshi, and Pandey’s wife, Anita Pandey, had separately filed habeas corpus petitions at the Supreme Court, arguing that their husbands were being detained unlawfully.
The joint bench dismissed both petitions and upheld the legality of keeping Joshi and Pandey in custody while the investigation continues.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police had raided the ANFA headquarters on September 18 and arrested treasurer Joshi and accountant Pandey.
The CIB is investigating them on allegations related to match-fixing, irregularities and fraud.
Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel, who is also the government spokesperson, said on Tuesday that new facts had emerged during the investigation into ANFA.
