The government has appointed Judge Basudev Acharya, who ordered the release of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane on bail in a cooperative fraud case, as chairperson of the Special Court.
Government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel said that a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday appointed Acharya to the post.
The appointment was made on the recommendation of the Judicial Council.
Acharya previously served at the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court. On December 18, 2025, a division bench comprising Acharya and another judge, Tej Narayan Paudel, ordered Lamichhane’s release on bail in the case involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from Supreme Cooperative.
The bench ordered that Lamichhane be released on bail after securing a bank guarantee of Rs 27.48 million, equivalent to the amount claimed against Lamichhane. Following the order, Lamichhane has remained out of custody pending trial.
Four individuals were collectively charged with an alleged loss of Rs 101.94 million in the Supreme Cooperative case. Lamichhane’s share of the alleged amount was set at Rs 27.48 million, for which he submitted a bank guarantee.
Judge Acharya was transferred to the Butwal bench of the Tulsipur High Court in August 2024. He had been on deputation at the Supreme Court from the Butwal bench since May 18.
Judge Sudarshan Dev Bhatta had requested his transfer from the Special Court in a petition submitted to Chief Justice and Judicial Council Chairman Manoj Kumar Sharma. The post of Special Court chairperson had remained vacant following Bhatta’s transfer to the Surkhet High Court.
Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting also decided to appoint Surkhet High Court Judge Deependra Adhikari as chairperson of the Labor Court.
Judge Bhatta had been transferred from the Janakpur High Court and appointed chairman of the Special Court following a Judicial Council decision dated September 15, 2025. However, he was transferred before completing a year in the position, and Acharya was appointed to head the Special Court.
Judges are generally transferred every two years.
Acharya, who is originally from Arghakhanchi, was appointed as a high court judge in 2016. Before becoming a judge, he worked as a lawyer and also served as the Arghakhanchi district secretary of the Nepali Congress.
