KATHMANDU: Senior-most Supreme Court Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla on Thursday saw off Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma at Tribhuvan International Airport as he departed for India, marking a rare public interaction after months of strained relations between the two.

The airport farewell comes after a prolonged period of tensions following Sharma’s appointment as chief justice. Justice Malla had not attended the Supreme Court to welcome Sharma after his appointment and instead went on leave immediately after he assumed office.

The relationship between the two deteriorated after the Constitutional Council, at its meeting on May 7, recommended Sharma-then fourth in seniority-for the post of chief justice, bypassing Malla, who was the senior-most justice and serving as acting chief justice at the time.

Following Sharma’s appointment, Malla remained on a 20-day leave and, even after returning, did not sit alongside him on any bench.

During her tenure as acting chief justice, Malla had also ordered the registration of writ petitions challenging Sharma’s recommendation. However, the Supreme Court administration did not register the petitions despite her order, with critics alleging it acted under pressure from Sharma.

Differences between Sharma and several senior justices also surfaced over the formation of the Constitutional Bench. Sharma drew criticism after constituting the bench without including the three senior-most justices while hearing a petition challenging the dissolution of the court employees’ union. The bench, by majority, later vacated an interim order in the case.

In recent weeks, the Constitutional Bench, which had been meeting regularly on Wednesdays and Fridays, has not convened consistently.