Chief Justice (CJ) Cholendra Shumsher Rana is now all alone at the Supreme Court (SC) with Justice Tej Bahadur KC also supporting 18 others taking a stand demanding his resignation.
KC has sent a message through Justice Bam Kumar Shrestha on Thursday saying he is with other justices, according to another justice. "I support the decision taken by all other justices on system of draw for picking benches, cases related to the Constitutional Council and others," the justice quoted KC's message.
There are currently 20 justices including CJ Rana at the SC and all the rest 19 are now against him.
Seven justices had initiated discussion on Friday to form a position on CJ Rana and other justices gradually joined in later. Fourteen justices discussed the issue on Sunday and decided to boycott the full court called by CJ Rana for Monday.
The 14 justices included Deepak Kumar Karki, Meera Khadka, Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Shrestha, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Prakash Singh Raut, Bam Kumar Shrestha, Tanka Bahadur Moktan, Prakash Kumar Dhungana, Sushma Lata Mathema, Hari Phuyal, Kumar Regmi, Manoj Kumar Sharma and Nahakul Subedi.
Five justices were on leave Sunday. Ishwore Prasad Khatiwada is currently in America while Sapana Pradhan Malla, Anil Kumar Sinha, Tej Bahadur KC and Kumar Chudal were absent that day. Chudal returned to duty by Tuesday and joined the rebellion by the 14 justices while Khatiwada, and Malla and Sinha—who are currently out of the Kathmandu Valley—sent an email to express support in the crusade, according to a justice.
Fifteen justices had gone to CJ Rana on Tuesday and asked him to provide a way out. They had claimed that the other three justices are also supporting them. Speaking on behalf of the 17 justices Ananda Mohan Bhattarai told CJ Rana that they cannot accept his leadership as he has transacted with the executive for political deals and has displayed judicial deviation.
There has been no hearing at the SC since Sunday with the justices boycotting hearing and holding discussion. A single bench of CJ Rana heard five cases on Wednesday before hearing was stopped for the day due to demise of former SC justice Sharada Prasad Pandit.
There was no hearing even on Thursday as another former SC justice Bhairav Lamsal died on the day.
The dissenting justices did not continue their discussion on Wednesday and Thursday due to demise of former justices and will continue discussion on Friday which looks set to affect hearing even on Friday.
