Senior Advocate Slams Government Over 'Arbitrary' Arrests of Oli and Lekhak

Kathmandu. Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi has commented that the government has arbitrarily arrested former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister and Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak. Speaking at a dialogue program organized in Kathmandu, Tripathi asserted that arresting individuals in this manner without prior permission from the court is a violation of the law.

According to Tripathi, the government has demonstrated malicious activity by issuing an arrest warrant even under normal circumstances. Tripathi alleged that the government has completely disregarded the legal process, which mandates court permission for any arrest.

He stated that the emergency arrest warrant should only be used in special and exceptional circumstances, such as when the accused is likely to destroy evidence or flee, but the government has made it seem like a routine procedure. He argued that this move reflects the government's distrust of the judiciary and is an attack on democratic values and norms.

Stating that a democratic system is fundamentally the rule of law, Senior Advocate Tripathi clarified that any arrest made without adhering to the proper legal procedure is arbitrary. He also claimed that the government is seeking political revenge based solely on the incident of Bhadra 23 and is proceeding with the investigation with malicious intent.

He warned that the state misusing power and law to control citizens or political leaders is fatal to democracy.