The Supreme Court has issued an interim order for an investigation to be conducted against former minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha who has been accused of helping in the release of a landlord who had been accused of racial discrimination.
A joint bench of Justices Prakash Man Singh Raut and Nahakul Subedi, on Thursday, directed the District Government Attorney Office, Kathmandu, and Metropolitan Police Circle, Singhadurbar, to register the complaint filed by journalist Rupa Sunar and conduct a fair and impartial investigation.
Sunar had lodged a complaint against Saraswati Pradhan, who owns a house in Babar Mahal, Kathmandu, for not letting out a room to her because she was from the Dalit community. The police had initially arrested Pradhan on June 20 and kept her in custody for three days for further investigation.
Later, the police had released Pradhan from custody and former minister Shrestha had apparently dropped Pradhan from the police station to her home in his vehicle.
Sunar had then tried to lodge a complaint at the District Government Attorney Office, Kathmandu, and Metropolitan Police Circle, Singhadurbar, mentioning that the former minister had used his clout to influence the investigation against Pradhan. However, the concerned authorities had refused to register her complaint.
On July 4, Sunar had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court seeking the dismissal of former minister Shrestha from the Council of Ministers. Sunar had filed the writ against the former minister citing that action should be initiated against him as per rules related to the protection of people against racial discrimination.
The joint bench of the Supreme Court issued the interim order for an investigation to be conducted against former minister Shrestha while hearing the writ filed by Sunar.
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