The Supreme Court has removed Lok Man Singh Karki from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). It was announced on Sunday (January 8, 2017) that the controversial figure did not meet qualifications required to hold the top position as the Chief of the anti-corruption constitutional body.

According to reports, the verdict was made by justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Anil Kumar Sinha in response to several writ petitions filed by advocate Om Prakash Aryal who had argued that Karki did not possess all the qualifications required for the position as provisioned in the Interim Constitution, which was in effect during the time of his appointment.

Karki was appointed to the position in May 2013 by the interim council of ministers led by then Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi for a tenure of six years.

Apart from failing to meet the criteria as mentioned in Articles 119.5c and 119.5e of the Constitution, the verdict has observed that his experience in civil service was also not sufficient to hold the top position. It was further pointed out that Karki did not have high moral standards as he was proved guilty of suppressing the 2006 People’s Movement by the investigation commission led by former justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi.