Resham Chaudhary released

KATHMANDU: Nagarik Unmukti Party patron Resham Chaudhary has been released from Dillibazar Prison on Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court declared that the letter ordering his arrest was unofficial and unauthorized.

The court has initiated legal action against the official who issued the controversial letter without approval. Chaudhary was arrested earlier in the day from the premises of the Nepal Academy (Pragya Bhawan), where he was attending an event organized to announce the unification of Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janamat Party. The arrest, carried out by Kathmandu Police based on a Supreme Court directive, led to the cancellation of the high-profile political event.

Later in the day, the Supreme Court issued a press release stating that the original letter had been sent without official sanction and was, therefore, invalid. “The letter was unauthorized and not approved by the administration,” Supreme Court Deputy Registrar and Spokesperson Achyut Kuinkel stated. “A new letter was sent instructing the authorities not to act on the previous one.”

Following this clarification, the prison administration released Chaudhary, stating they had received a new directive from the court. “After receiving the latest order, we completed the necessary procedures and released him,” said an official at Dillibazar Jail.

Further investigation revealed that the original arrest letter had been issued and sent by Mahiman Singh Bista, a section officer at the Supreme Court’s Writ and Case Division. Bista allegedly signed and dispatched the document without proper authorization. He has now been taken into police custody for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The Supreme Court’s internal review found that the letter was issued while Chaudhary’s case was still under consideration, violating judicial protocol. This misstep caused confusion and disruption within the judiciary and the political community throughout the day.