Special Court begins virtual hearing: defendants’ lawyer defends case from USA

Kathmandu, Oct. 28: For the first time in the Special Court, a hearing of a case was done through the virtual medium on Monday.

In a case relating to corruption, the defendants’ lawyers defended the case from Kansas State of the USA. Advocate Apurba Khatiwada defended the case on behalf of defendants Safal Shrestha and Bishnu Prasad Gautam in a case of public property misappropriation in which former chief secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal is also accused.

The hearing of the case was conducted in the division bench of Special Court’s Chair Teknarayan Kunwal and Members Dr Khusi Prasad Tharu and Ritendra Thapa. Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha marked the beginning of the virtual hearing of the cases on March 28.

According to section 122 (5) of the National Criminal Procedures (Code) Act 2074, the deposition of the accused could be recorded, and where deposition has been taken through video conference. —RSS