SC issues interim order in UML office land donation dispute

Kathmandu, October 28 — The Supreme Court has issued an interim order regarding the land donated by businessman Min Bahadur Gurung for the construction of the CPN-UML party office. On Monday, a single bench led by Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel issued the short-term interim order.

Advocate Gyan Bahadur Basnet filed a writ in this dispute, and the Supreme Court has summoned both parties for discussions.

Advocate Basnet sought to annul the decision to donate the land to the UML through the interim order.

Initially, the Supreme Court administration rejected the registration of the writ. After submitting a petition against that rejection, Justice Til Prasad Shrestha's bench ordered the writ to be registered. Following this order, the Supreme Court stated that construction of the building should not proceed immediately.

Gurung announced the donation of 10 ropanis and 14 aanas of land located in Maitri Nagar, Kirtipur Municipality-2, Kathmandu, on October 11. On the same day, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the Gurung couple jointly laid the foundation stone for the UML headquarters building.

The writ claimed that accepting such a large donation from a controversial businessman while holding an executive position amounts to corruption.