KATHMANDU: In a major legal reprieve for the main opposition party lawmaker, the Supreme Court has issued a short-term interim order directing authorities not to arrest Nepali Congress (NC) Member of Parliament Abhishek Pratap Shah.

A single bench presided over by Justice Abdul Azeez Musalman issued the stay order on Wednesday, effectively freezing the execution of an arrest warrant issued against the federal lawmaker.

The emergency legal intervention comes a day after MP Shah filed a writ petition at the apex court seeking to quash the arrest warrant issued by the Kapilvastu District Court.

The petition names the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Kapilvastu District Court, and the District Police Office of Kapilvastu as defendants.

Shah, who represents Kapilvastu Constituency No. 3 in the House of Representatives, found himself in hot water following an alleged violent incident in his home district.

The lawmaker, alongside Krishnanagar Municipality Mayor Rajat Pratap Shah and a group of 15 to 20 individuals, was accused of trespassing into the residence of Sitaram Sharma, President of the Krishnanagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and physically assaulting him.

The situation escalated rapidly after video footage purporting to show the breach and assault began circulating, prompting the victim to lodge an official complaint with the police.

The court’s interim order provides temporary immunity to MP Shah while the Supreme Court deliberates on the validity of the warrant.