How Soon Could Madhav Nepal’s Case Go to the Supreme Court?

A corruption case has been filed against former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and 93 others in connection with the Patanjali land issue. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) registered the case last Thursday.

Following the registration of the case, Madhav Nepal’s parliamentary position has been suspended. The next step in the legal process now depends on the Special Court.

So, how long does Madhav Nepal have to appear before the Special Court?

According to the court’s spokesperson Yagya Raj Regmi, the court must first officially inform the accused through a process called “myad tamel”. For those living inside the Kathmandu Valley, the Special Court delivers the notice directly. For others outside the valley, district courts are asked to help because the Special Court lacks enough staff to handle all areas.

In Madhav Nepal’s case, the notice has not yet been delivered because of the large number of defendants and limited manpower. Regmi said it may take a few more days to start this process.

Once the notice is delivered to the accused or a family member, or posted publicly if they are not found, the accused has 15 days to appear at the Special Court. In special situations, the court may allow an extra 15 days.

This means, after receiving the notice, Madhav Nepal could have up to 30 days maximum to reach the Special Court. The court will then decide whether to keep him in custody, grant bail, or release him with a regular court date.

The court proceedings will begin only after all accused individuals, including Madhav Nepal, receive their official notices.

So for now, the countdown starts only once the court successfully delivers the notice to him.