Kathmandu, March 27
A Supreme Court bench has overturned a ruling by its administration to bar a writ petition demanding the annulment of the swearing-in of President Bhandari for allegedly taking oath from a ‘retired’ Chief Justice.
Justice Ishwar Prasad Khatiwad overturned the ruling implying that the issue can be raised in court.
The petition seeks the annulment of the swearing-in ceremony, which took place on March 14, the same day the Judicial Council relieved then Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli from his post.
The council, in a notice issued just a few minutes before President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s swearing in ceremony, had said Parajuli was no longer the Chief Justice of Nepal. Officials from the council’s secretariat had handed over the notice to Parajuli just as he prepared to administer the oath of office and secrecy to President Bidya Devi Bhandari. However, both Parajuli and Bhandari went on with the ceremony.
The council said that Parajulis’ 65th birthday was in August last year and he should have retired back then.
