The Special Court has permitted former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to appoint a lawyer to appear on his behalf in the corruption case related to the embezzlement of land belonging to Patanjali Yoga Peeth. Nepal had moved the court with a petition stating that he could not be present when the matter was taken up, and the bench accepted his request. As a result, the final verdict in the case, which had been scheduled for Kartik 19, has been postponed. The order was issued by a bench led by Special Court Chairperson Basudev Acharya, with members Dilliratna Shrestha and Umesh on the panel. The development was reported by Nepali news outlets on Friday, October 30, and leaves the corruption case awaiting its final order at a subsequent hearing.

Court Accepts Petition Allowing Representation Through Counsel

According to reports published by Nepal Press and Ratopati, Nepal filed a petition before the Special Court stating that he could not be present in connection with the hearing of the Patanjali Yoga Peeth land case. In his application, the former Prime Minister sought the postponement of the hearing, informing the bench of his inability to attend on the fixed date. After considering the petition, the court chose to accept it rather than require his personal appearance, clearing the way for him to appoint a legal practitioner who can represent him when the case is next called.

The ruling on representation came from a three-member bench. Special Court Chairperson Basudev Acharya chaired the panel, with members Dilliratna Shrestha and Umesh participating in the decision. The court's order means that when proceedings resume, Nepal's chosen lawyer will be able to appear before the bench and plead on his behalf, an arrangement that has been specifically sanctioned for the date in question. The reports did not specify the reason Nepal gave for saying he could not be present.

Verdict Set for Kartik 19 Is Postponed

The hearing had been fixed as the date on which the court was to pronounce its final verdict in the corruption case. With the acceptance of Nepal's petition, that scheduled pronouncement has been postponed. Nepal Press reported that the final order will now be delivered at the next hearing of the case, while Pradesh Khabar likewise noted the deferral of the verdict. Kartik 19 falls in early November, and the postponement pushes the announcement of the judgment beyond the originally set date. The reports did not indicate a new date for the pronouncement.

The postponement is significant procedurally because the case had already reached the stage at which the bench was set to announce its final decision, rather than sitting at an interim or evidence-taking phase. By permitting representation through counsel and deferring the verdict, the court has extended the timeline of the process, with the final order now expected only once the matter is heard again.

Background of the Patanjali Yoga Peeth Land Case

The case in which Nepal is named concerns the alleged embezzlement of land belonging to Patanjali Yoga Peeth. It is being heard as a corruption case before the Special Court, the bench that adjudicates corruption-related matters in Nepal. Nepal, who has previously served as the country's Prime Minister, remains an accused in the proceedings, and the current order relates only to the manner of his appearance, not to the merits of the allegations themselves.

Because the matter was listed for a final verdict, the immediate question before the court was whether the proceedings could go ahead without the accused physically present. The bench resolved that question by allowing counsel to stand in for Nepal on the appointed date, while simultaneously rescheduling the pronouncement of the final order. In doing so, the court kept the case on track without treating the former Prime Minister's absence as grounds to halt the proceedings altogether.

What Comes Next in the Case

The immediate next steps, as indicated by the reports, are as follows:

  • Nepal is to appoint a lawyer who will appear on his behalf in the corruption case.
  • The case will be heard again before the bench of Chairperson Basudev Acharya and members Dilliratna Shrestha and Umesh.
  • The final order, originally scheduled for Kartik 19, will be pronounced at the next hearing of the Special Court.

For now, the Special Court has kept the process moving while accommodating the former Prime Minister's request. The acceptance of his petition averts an immediate dispute over his non-appearance, and the court has retained its plan to deliver a final order in the case, albeit at the next hearing rather than on Kartik 19 as originally fixed. ThePatjali Yoga Peeth land embezzlement case, which involves one of Nepal's most prominent political figures, will therefore return to the bench with a lawyer standing in for the accused, and the long-awaited verdict is expected to be announced once that sitting concludes.