Hearing on case related to DPM Lamichhane’s citizenship concludes

The hearing on a case related to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane’s citizenship has concluded.

The Constitutional Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki and Justices Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Anil Kumar Sinha concluded the hearing today.

It is not determined whether the Bench will give its verdict on the case today or on another day. The hearing on the case was postponed for today after it could not be concluded on Wednesday.

The Bench had in its earlier order required that the documents submitted by Lamichhane to the Department of Immigration on June 20, 2018, the papers related to the action taken to that connection be presented before the Court within seven days, whether the documents and papers are at the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Department or the District Administration Office.

Advocates Rabi Raj Basaula, Yuba Raj Poudel et al had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court challenging the Rastriya Swatantra Party president Lamichhane’s qualification as the elected Member of the House of Representatives.

The writ petitioners had sought revoking DPM Lamichhane’s MP post arguing that he opened a political party and became a Member of the House of Representatives without acquiring the Nepali citizenship.