May 20, Kathmandu – A complaint has been filed with the Parliamentary Hearing Committee raising questions about the qualifications of Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma, who has been proposed for the position of Chief Justice. One complainant alleges that on the day Dr. Sharma was appointed as a Supreme Court judge, he sought ‘blessings’ from the then UML party headquarters in Balkhu, and has demanded that he not be appointed as Chief Justice.
Another complainant argues that Dr. Sharma does not meet the necessary qualifications to become a Supreme Court judge. According to the complainants, a minimum of 15 years of legal practice or at least 5 years of experience as a High Court judge is required to be appointed to the Supreme Court, both of which Dr. Sharma allegedly has not fulfilled.
The complaint further states, “Dr. Sharma was appointed as a Supreme Court judge while Damodar Upadhyay, the head of the same household, was the sitting Chief Justice. There is evidence that this appointment was made under undue influence from then Chief Justice Cholaendra Shamsher Rana. Petition cases and complaints have been registered with both the Supreme Court and the Parliamentary Hearing Committee.”
Additionally, several decisions made by Dr. Sharma as a Supreme Court judge have come under scrutiny. He has been accused of causing loss to the country by dismissing a writ related to NCELL and the waste management issues of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. A total of 16 complaints have been filed against Dr. Sharma. Detailed copies of these complaints along with his work plans have been distributed to members of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee.
On April 6, the Constitutional Council meeting recommended Dr. Manoj Sharma, the fourth senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, for appointment as Chief Justice.
