Kathmandu, September 27: Former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana is released after police clarified that he was taken to the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office in Teku for security reasons and that no criminal case would be pursued against him.
Rana was taken from his residence in Maharajgunj at around 3 am on Sunday and brought to the police office. The incident initially raised questions about the reason for police action and whether he had been formally arrested.
Police Cite Security Concerns
Superintendent of Police Rameshwar Karki of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office said Rana was brought to the office after authorities identified a potential security threat.
“He is staying at a safe place,” Karki said, confirming that police had no plans to pursue a criminal case against the former chief justice.
Karki also confirmed that Rana would be released, clarifying that the police action was not related to any criminal investigation.
Police have not publicly disclosed the specific nature of the alleged security threat or the circumstances that prompted them to take Rana from his residence.
Family Questions Police Action
According to a family member, police officers arrived at Rana’s residence while he and his family were asleep and informed him of a potential security threat.
Rana reportedly suggested that police strengthen security at his residence rather than take him away. However, officers insisted that he accompany them to the police office.
The circumstances surrounding his removal from the residence have raised questions about whether the action constituted a formal arrest or protective custody.
Background
Rana became Chief Justice of Nepal on January 1, 2019. He was suspended from his position after an impeachment motion was registered against him in Parliament on February 13, 2022.
On September 9, 2026, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench dismissed four writ petitions concerning the status of the impeachment proceedings, ruling that the motion had lost its purpose.
