Supreme Court flags concern over ex-CJ JBR's midnight arrest, calls arbitrary action unacceptable

The Supreme Court has taken serious note of the midnight arrest of former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR. The court's full bench made its position on the matter public on Monday.

On the midnight of Asoj 10, Nepal Police officers took JBR into custody while he was sleeping at home and took him to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku. He was held there for about 10 hours.

The Supreme Court said that actions carried out without following proper legal procedure carry the risk of arbitrariness. It said such conduct is not in line with the values of a democratic system of governance, and that a democratic system cannot accept it.

Saying that the judiciary's functioning must remain free from any external influence, the Supreme Court cautioned the concerned parties against activities that unnecessarily affect matters that have occurred or may occur in the course of the administration of justice.