Property Investigation Commission: Deadline Extended Beyond Three Days, What is the Impact of the Court Order?

Following the Supreme Court’s interim order on Asar 26, the Property Investigation Commission announced on Monday that the collection of property details will continue for individuals except for former justices, former officials of constitutional bodies, and former military officers. Due to this, a contempt case was filed against the commission on Tuesday. The deadline for submitting property details is set to end on Asar 32. However, the commission has indicated that those who have been uncertain over the past week will still have a few additional days to submit their details.

Experts have noted that the interim order issued by the court and the related notification from the commission have raised significant legal and practical questions. After analyzing the order issued by the panel of Supreme Court Justices Tek Prasad Dhungana and Shreekant Paudel on Asar 26, various comments emerged in response to the commission’s notification issued on Asar 29. Petitioner lawyer Premraj Silwal asserted that the commission has misinterpreted the order.

Commission member and spokesperson Ganesh KC stated that, in line with the constitutional provisions, the commission has no authority over judges who have neither been removed from office nor subjected to impeachment, as well as military officers who have not faced proceedings under the Military Act. He added, “The deadline for submitting property details remains until Asar 32, and additional submissions are expected.”

Ganesh KC further reported that over 15,000 individuals have already submitted their property details to the Property Investigation Commission. He remarked, “Hundreds of former justices and military officers have also submitted their details. These submissions will remain intact following the court’s order.”