The Supreme Court (SC) has registered the writ petition demanding revocation of the Judicial Council's decision to keep the complaint about newly appointed High Court judge Lekh Nath Dhakal taking bribe on hold.
Umesh Baniya of Kavrepalanchowk district had brought the petition demanding revocation of the Judicial Council's decision last week. But the SC on May 16 had refused to register the petition.
Baniya again moved the SC against the registrar's decision to not register the petition. The petition has been registered on Wednesday after a bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla ordered its registration after hearing the second petition. "The decision by registrar to not register the petition has been revoked as it seems to be one that should be resolved by the bench through judicial system after considering the nature of the refusal to register the writ petition filed by the applicant," Malla's order states.
Baniya in his first petition had argued that Dhakal does not deserve to be a High Court judge claiming the latter had taken a bribe of Rs 1.80 million from him.
Baniya had also complained against Dhakal with the Judicial Council claiming that Dhakal had forced him to pay a bribe of Rs 1.80 million while overseeing a case about black-marketing of petroleum products when Dhakal was a district judge in Kavrepalanchowk. Baniya has added that Dhakal first sent him to custody and then demanded bribe.
Baniya had gone to the SC saying the Judicial Council made Dhakal a High Court justice instead of punishing him for that.
The SC, however, had refused to register the petition on May 16 and explained that the petition was not registered as the Judicial Council has already investigated the complaint against Dhakal and kept it on hold in February.
The Judicial Council on April 2 had appointed 18 including Dhakal as High Court justices.
