KATHMANDU: Opposition parties in the House of Representatives have strongly criticized the government over the midnight detention of former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR. Lawmakers questioned the rule of law, noting that the former chief justice was taken into custody without a warrant or clear justification.

Dhruba Rai of the Labour Culture Party compared the government’s actions to a child’s game of hide-and-seek. Police, however, maintained that the detention was for his own protection. SSP Santosh Khadka of the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office stated that intelligence had been received regarding threats of physical violence against the former chief justice.

NCP Chief Whip Yubaraj Dulal challenged the government’s narrative, questioning why the authorities would detain the victim of a threat rather than the perpetrators. ‘Are we in a legal state or an illegal one? Is the country moving toward a legal path or chaos?’ Dulal asked, demanding an explanation from the government for the midnight operation.

CPN-UML Chief Whip Ain Mahar described the detention as an act of state terrorism and hooliganism. ‘No one in a democracy is above the law or beyond questioning,’ Mahar said. He further criticized the government’s mention of ‘Gen Z’ as the source of the security threat, demanding that the government identify those individuals and take action against them instead of targeting the former chief justice.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmaker Bharat Giri also voiced his opposition, objecting to reports that human rights activists were denied access to the former chief justice during his detention. He urged the government to focus on its responsibilities and public commitments. The former chief justice was released 12 hours after being taken into custody.