SC denies interim order on DPM Lamichhane's citizenship row

Kathmandu, Jan 6: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday denied issuing an interim order on the petition filed against the citizenship of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane. 

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki and Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Anil Kumar Sinha and Prakashman Singh Raut denied giving the interim order stating that a full hearing on this case is deemed necessary since this issue should be settled soon. 

The SC has fixed the date for full hearing for January 25. 

With the SC's latest order, DPM Lamichhane's post of Member of Parliament (MP) shall remain intact until final verdict on the case.  "Giving an interim order this time is not appropriate while considering the balance of convenience as well," the SC said.

The SC has also demanded the written note till January 25 and submission of Lamichhane's documents and original copy of the decisions of Election Commission taken on December 29, 2022 within seven days.    

Legal practitioner Rabi Raj Basaula, Yubraj Poudel and others had filed the writ petition questioning the qualification of Lamichhane for the election to the MP. The petitioners demanded that Lamichhane's MP be scrapped.  (RSS)