Supreme Court Orders Continued Custody for Congress Leader Deepak Khadka

KATHMANDU – The Supreme Court of Nepal has ordered that Nepali Congress leader and former minister Deepak Khadka remain in custody following a hearing on a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife, Binita Thapa.

A joint bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Shanti Singh Thapa issued the order on Wednesday, directing authorities to maintain the status quo regarding his detention. The case, which has drawn significant legal attention with arguments from several senior advocates, is centered on an investigation by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation.

Khadka was arrested on March 29 in connection with a large sum of Nepali and foreign currency discovered at his residence during the “Gen Z” protests last September. While the house was vandalized and set on fire by demonstrators, social media footage surfaced showing both burnt remnants of cash and intact banknotes being carried away from the scene.

Home Minister Sudan Gurung has confirmed that Khadka is being held to determine the source of the recovered funds. The court is scheduled to continue proceedings on the matter this Thursday.