Supreme Court Orders Release of Former Energy Minister in Money Laundering Case

Nepal's Supreme Court ordered the release of former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka, deeming his arrest and detention unlawful. The court criticized the lack of legal basis for his detention, imposed a travel restriction, and called for the investigation to proceed without his custody.

The Nepal Supreme Court has mandated the release of former Energy Minister Deepak Khadka, who was held in police custody on charges related to money laundering. The decision was handed down by a joint bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla and Justice Shreekant Paudel after they reviewed habeas corpus filed by Binita Thapa, Khadka's spouse.

In its ruling, the court stated that Khadka's arrest procedure and the subsequent remand extensions were unlawful. Moreover, the justices highlighted the lack of adequate evidence provided by the government to justify maintaining Khadka in custody. The court underscored that the investigation can be carried on without him being detained.

However, as part of the release order, the court has placed a travel restriction on Khadka, requiring him to obtain approval before any international travel. This legal development followed the court's request for investigation files and a response from the Department of Revenue Investigation just a day earlier.

(With inputs from agencies.)