The Supreme Court has ordered Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to furnish a written response in the writ petition filed by former RSP lawmaker Dhaka Kumar Shrestha against the party’s action against him.
A single bench of Supreme Court Justice Til Prasad Shrestha on Monday issued a short-term interim order in the petition filed by Shrestha.
Shrestha’s bench has ordered RSP’s central disciplinary committee to furnish a written response within 15 days.
The court has also said that discussion will be held on May 19 on whether to issue an interim order as per the petitioner’s demand or not.
The apex court has ordered RSP to not move ahead with its decision on Bindabasini Kansakar until it issues another order on the issue.
The Election Commission has already presented Kansakar with the lawmaker’s certificate on the recommendation of RSP.
But the Supreme Court order means Kansakar will not be sworn in immediately despite the Election Commission's handing her the certificate.
Shrestha had moved the Supreme Court against RSP’s decision to remove him as lawmaker and general member of the party. Shrestha has also demanded in his petition that he be reinstated as lawmaker.
RSP had removed Shrestha as lawmaker and party member on April 12 after the audio recording of a phone conversation alleged to be between him and businessman Durga Prasai.
Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire has already read the notice of Shrestha’s expulsion in the House while the party has already sent acid attack survivor Kansakar as HoR member through the PR electoral system to replace Shrestha.
The party’s central committee meeting held on April 12 had decided to punish Shrestha after audio recording of him purportedly demanding Rs 20 million from promoter of B&C Medical College Prasai was made public.
Kapurbot Media had first published audio recording of what it claimed was a deal between Shrestha and Prasai.
Shrestha, who was elected to the House of Representatives (HoR) through the Proportional Representation electoral system, could be heard telling Prasai that the amount was needed to give to RSP President Rabi Lamichhane’s men for Shrestha to become health minister.
The conversation took place at the start of January, as Prasai informed in the audio, when RSP was negotiating in the then ruling coalition also including CPN-UML to get the Health Ministry. Shrestha could be heard telling Prasai that Lamichhane would make him heath minister only if he handed over Rs 20-25 million to Lamichhane's men.
