KATHMANDU: The Special Court has rejected former Prime Minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal’s request to appoint a legal representative in the corruption case filed against him.

Nepal had submitted an application seeking permission to delegate the court appearance to a representative, citing political obligations and travel across various parts of the country.

However, a bench of Judges Tej Narayan Singh Raya and Murari Babu Shrestha ruled that since Nepal faces criminal charges carrying more than three years of imprisonment, the provision to appoint a legal representative does not apply.

The court emphasized that in such criminal cases, strict legal procedures are followed, and the accused must be present in person during hearings.

While courts generally show leniency in civil and writ cases regarding legal representative appointments, they adopt a strict approach in criminal matters involving serious charges.

The ruling clearly states that defendants in such cases cannot delegate their court responsibilities to others.

As a result, Madhav Nepal will now be required to attend the hearings himself, without the option of representation through a proxy.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a corruption case against Nepal for allegedly having facilitated land allocation to Patanjali Yogpeeth and its affiliated Ayurvedic company by misusing land ceiling exemptions.

He had been released on bail after posting Rs 3.5 million as surety.