KATHMANDU: A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against Dr. Gunakar Bhatta, who resigned from the post of Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank. Advocates Pratibha Upreti and Bishal Thapa filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Friday, claiming that Bhatta is not qualified to be appointed as Governor.

According to the petitioners, the Supreme Court has already accepted the supplementary petition to be filed on Sunday. The petitioners have argued that the act is unlawful as it is founded solely on a political agreement between the parties, rather than on legal or constitutional grounds. Bhatta had resigned from the post of Executive Director only on Friday. Bhatta’s resignation has not been accepted.

Earlier, on April 15, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order in a writ filed by advocates Upreti and Thapa, asking not to include people over the age of 65 in the appointment process.

According to advocate Anantaraj Luintel, the discussion on the interim order in the writ has also been scheduled for Sunday. Luintel says that the process of filing a supplementary writ against Bhatta is also being included in the same writ.

Contrary to the working procedures of the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2058, Dr. Bhatta has been appointed on the basis of the consent of the leaders, abandoning the legal process, and the supplementary writ petition also claims that an illegal scheme has been created to appoint him based on the consent of the leaders.

The writ also claims that while qualified candidates should be selected by the Governor Appointment Committee through legal channels, the appointment through illegal channels with the consent of the leaders is against the Good Governance Act.