May 14, Kathmandu - The Supreme Court of Nepal has issued a show cause notice to Jyoti Prakash Pandey, the Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Investment Mega Bank, regarding his detention. A single bench led by Justice Abdul Aziz Muslim heard the petition and has called for both parties to discuss whether to grant an interim order. The court has not yet decided whether to grant immediate relief or not.

Earlier, a team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police arrested Pandey late Tuesday night on charges of fraud and criminal breach of trust.

Pandey’s wife, Niru Dahal, filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, demanding his immediate release, arguing that his detention was unlawful.

According to CIB spokesperson Shiva Kumar Shrestha, Pandey was arrested around 8 p.m. Tuesday from the Kamalamai Municipality-6 Bus Park area in Sindhuli. The police are investigating allegations that he illegally auctioned properties of Smart Cell Telecom.