The impeachment recommendation committee of parliament is preparing to finish questioning suspended Chief Justice (CJ) Cholendra Shumsher Rana by Monday.
Nepali Congress lawmaker Min Bahadur Bishwokarma, who is on the committee, said that the committee will take CJ Rana’s statement on Sunday and Monday.
“We will take Cholendra Shumsher’s statement today and tomorrow,” Bishwokarma said on Sunday. “We have also sought written answers to our questions.”
He added that the committee plans to finish the remaining questions as far as possible.
With the House of Representatives approaching the end of its term, it is not certain when the impeachment recommendation committee will submit its investigation report.
Meanwhile, CJ Rana has reached the Singha Durbar on Sunday to face questioning by the committee.
CJ Rana has answered 11 out of the 43 questions prepared by the committee until now. He has been making counter allegations against the House and fellow justices and legal professionals in his answers.
He has defended commutation of sentence of former Armed Police Force DIG Ranjan Koirala, who was found guilty of murdering his wife, saying he exercised his conscience.
He has argued that the impeachment motion has already become defunct and he reported for questioning only due to his respect for the House.
He has accused machination of interest groups for registration of impeachment motion against him. “The then Nepal Bar Association Chairman Chandeshwore Shrestha demanded (appointment) of a judge. General Secretary Leela Mani Paudel came to my chamber and demanded chief judge,” Rana has claimed. “Similarly Chair of Supreme Court Bar Purna Man Shakya also had interest in the case. But I didn’t comply and said I will honor the rule of law. They, therefore, went against me.”
He has also asked the impeachment recommendation committee why the impeachment motion was registered against him.
A total of 98 ruling HoR members had registered the impeachment motion against CJ Rana on February 13, leveling 21 different charges against him. He has been suspended since then.
