Slain judge was waiting to prove himself innocent

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam was shot dead today, just three days after the dissolution of the Parliament which was supposed to initiate a process to impeach him over corruption charges pressed against him. Former chief justice Ram Prasad Shrestha as the chief of the Judicial Council on December 14, 2010 had recommended the impeachment, but the now dissolved Parliament was yet to initiate an impeachment motion.

Bam had refused to resign despite corruption charges pressed against him by an enquiry committee. He had said he would rather face the impeachment motion because he ‘strongly felt’ that he could prove his innocence.

An enquiry panel had charged Bam with releasing abduction accused Sanjaya Shrestha, Rohit Paliwal Agrawal and Bhimsen Pundit with lenient sentences. Senior Justice Balram KC-led panel had recommended JC that appropriate action be initiated against Bam for releasing the three accused who were involved in the abduction of Dr Bhaktaman Shrestha. Along with Bam, judges Hari Bahadur Basnet and Tej Bahadur Karki too were facing corruption charges. Basnet had resigned and Karki was dismissed by JC. But Bam had decided to stay put to prove his innocence before the Parliament.

Courts shut on Sunday

KATHMANDU: Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi on Thursday condemned the killing of Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam. Terming the incident a cowardice attack, CJ Regmi said the judiciary would never deviate from its responsibility of dispensing justice. CJ Regmi said he had taken the incident not only as an attack on judiciary but as an attack on the state. Earlier on Thursday, Regmi had expressed his concerns with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar and IGP Rabindra Pratap Shah. Briefing the media, SC Co-spokesman Hemanta Rawal said the murder of Justice Bam was an attack against independence of judiciary. Nepal Bar Association also condemned the killing of Justice Bam. Justice Bam’s body will be kept on the SC’s premises on Friday from 8:00am to 11:00 am. His final rites will be performed on Friday with the state honour. All the courts across the country will remain closed on Sunday to mourn the death of Justice Bam.