Supreme Court Seeks Clarification on Businessman Deepak Bhatta's Detention

Kathmandu. The Supreme Court has sought a clarification report on the petition filed by businessman Deepak Bhatta, who is in custody for trial in cases of banking offense and money laundering.

A single bench of Justice Vinod Sharma has ordered to summon a clarification report (kaifiyat pratibedhan) detailing the reasons and basis for sending Bhatta to custody by the High Court Patan and the Special Court. 

Bhatta had filed a petition at the Supreme Court on Friday seeking to quash the order of the High Court Patan and the Special Court sending him to custody for trial.

Bhatta had approached the Supreme Court last Friday seeking to quash the said order from the two courts. Cases with huge claimed amounts have been filed against Bhatta in two different cases. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation arrested Bhatta on Chaitra 19, 2081 BS and initiated an investigation. In the case filed with a claimed amount of Rs 42 crore 14 lakh 88 thousand 807 under banking offense, a joint bench of High Court Patan judges Rishi Rajbhandari and Somakanta Mainali had ordered to send Bhatta to custody for trial on Ashar 5.

Similarly, in the case filed with a claimed amount of Rs 26 Arba 63 crore 27 lakh 71 thousand 59 rupees 68 paisa under money laundering, the bench of Special Court Chairman Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and members Umesh Koirala and Bidur Koirala had ordered to send him to custody for trial on Ashar 3. 

Bhatta, who is in custody due to the order of the lower courts, has reached the Supreme Court claiming that the order was not lawful. Now, after receiving the clarification report, the Supreme Court will hear the matter of whether to keep him in custody or release him on bail.