The impeachment recommendation committee of parliament will try to submit investigation report on suspended Chief Justice (CJ) Cholendra Shumsher Rana to the House by the end of this week.
The committee has again summoned Rana for questioning on Tuesday but Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Min Bishwokarma told Setopati that it will try to submit the report by the end of this week. “We are making efforts to submit the report about impeachment by the end of this month (Bhadra which ends on Friday),” Bishwokarma said. “We have moved forward on preparing report along with questioning.”
But CPN-UML lawmaker Krishna Bhakta Pokharel rued lack of time for completing the report pointing how the ruling coalition delayed the impeachment process.
Pokharel opined that the Supreme Court (SC) should explain whether CJ Rana can return back for duty once the term of current House of Representatives (HoR) expires before the election on November 20.
Rana, who is set to retire on December 13, reportedly wishes to return for duty even if for just one day capitalizing on the legal confusion.
CJ Rana has answered 35 out of the 43 questions prepared by the committee until now. He has been making counter allegations against the House and fellow justices and legal professionals in his answers.
He has defended commutation of sentence of former Armed Police Force DIG Ranjan Koirala, who was found guilty of murdering his wife, saying he exercised his conscience.
He has argued that the impeachment motion has already become defunct and he reported for questioning only due to his respect for the House.
He has accused machination of interest groups for registration of impeachment motion against him. “The then Nepal Bar Association Chairman Chandeshwore Shrestha demanded (appointment) of a judge. General Secretary Leela Mani Paudel came to my chamber and demanded chief judge,” Rana has claimed. “Similarly Chair of Supreme Court Bar Purna Man Shakya also had interest in the case. But I didn’t comply and said I will honor the rule of law. They, therefore, went against me.”
He has also asked the impeachment recommendation committee why the impeachment motion was registered against him.
A total of 98 ruling HoR members had registered the impeachment motion against CJ Rana on February 13, leveling 21 different charges against him. He has been suspended since then.