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The government has said the impeachment motion against (suspended) Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana has not turned null and void. Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Government Spokesperson, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, made it clear that the matter would be decided through discussions in the upcoming House of Representatives as it was the concern of the sovereign Parliament. Speaking at a press meet in the Ministry today, he said, “A report developed in the HoR following deliberations on the impeachment proposal will be discussed in the lower house to be formed ahead." Earlier, the Federal Parliament Secretariat dispatched a letter stating that the motion turned ineffective with the fresh election to the Member of the House of Representatives (HoR). Rana faces the impeachment motion, labeling a set of charges against him since February 13 with a total of 98 ruling HoR members moving the Federal Parliament Secretariat to register it. He was automatically suspended from the duty with the registration of the proposal. The previous HoR just held preliminary discussion on the topic and the recommendation committee submitted it report. Then no progress was there in regard with the document. On December 5, Rana submitted an application to the Federal Parliament Secretariat seeking its permission to return to regular duty at the apex court. He is retiring from office due to age-limit on December 13.  

The Nepal Bar Association has demanded action against General Secretary of the Parliament Bharat Raj Gautam. Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, Bar Chairman Gopal Krishna Ghimire and General Secretary Anjita Khanal have drawn the attention of the concerned authority, arguing that the Parliament Secretariat made Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana’s suspension letter ineffective. The Nepal Bar Association has expressed its serious objection saying that the move has violated Nepal’s Constitution and laws and parliamentary values. The Bar Association has demanded action against those working against the Constitution and law.      

Former Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma said that the Parliament Secretariat cannot make the impeachment motion tabled at the House of Representatives ineffective. Though the impeachment motion was tabled in the then House of Representatives, the Parliament Secretariat made the impeachment motion filed against Chief Justice Rana ineffective saying that the term of the Parliament has ended. “The Parliament Secretariat cannot send Rana to carry out regular work just by saying that the term of the House of Representatives has ended and the impeachment motion filed against him has become ineffective,” Sharma said. “The motion has not been tabled in the new Parliament session. How can the Parliament Secretariat say that it has become ineffective?” he questioned. In a letter issued by Parliament General Secretary Bharat Raj Gautam, it has been mentioned that the motion was tabled in the then House of Representatives, held discussions and the Impeachment Motion Recommendation Committee submitted the report but the process was not taken ahead after that. Sharma said that the motion can be taken to the new Parliament. “The Parliament can say that the motion has become ineffective, but not the Parliament Secretariat,” he said.  

The impeachment motion filed at the Parliament against Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana has become ineffective. Parliament Secretariat Joint Secretary Rojnath Pandey confirmed that a letter, stating that the impeachment motion filed against him has become ineffective, has been handed over to Rana. “We have provided the letter to Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana. Now, the impeachment motion has become ineffective. Rana had filed an application at the Parliament Secretariat,” he said. After receiving the letter, Rana is preparing to return to the Supreme Court today itself. As many as 98 lawmakers of ruling Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) had filed an impeachment motion at the Parliament on March 13, 2022. Rana was accused of promoting corruption, stalling much needed reforms in the judiciary and failing to lead the judiciary. He is retiring on December 13. Rana was appointed as the Chief Justice in 2018.