SC permits to keep 17 including Min Bahadur in prison, writ of habeas corpus dismissed

KATHMANDU, July 21: In the case of Lalita Niwas, the Supreme Court has given the order to keep the 17 accused including former Election Commissioner Sudhir Kumar Basnet, Bhat Bhateni Supermarket operator Min Bahadur Gurung, and former employee of the land revenue office Dharma Prasad Gautam in prison. The joint bench of Justices Prakash Kumar Dhungana and Nahakul Subedi ordered to keep the accused imprisoned.

Those in police custody filed a writ in the Supreme Court, insisting that the investigation should be carried out outside the prison. The hearing of the writ of habeas corpus was held continuously since last Sunday. However, the Supreme Court refused to issue the writ and dismissed it. In the case of Communication Secretary Raut, the court has ordered to continue the investigation by releasing him.

After the hearing was over on Friday, the bench of Justices Dhungana and Subedi gave permission to the Central Investigation Bureau of the Police to imprison and investigate the cases of those other than Communication Secretary Raut.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) also went to the Supreme Court against the 17 accused who had obtained an interim order not to be arrested after taking a vacate application after the detainees filed a writ of habeas corpus. All the applications were heard simultaneously after the CIB reached the Supreme Court asking for permission to arrest them.