Supreme Court Issues Injunction Against Road Closures for VIP Motorcades

KATHMANDU: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court (SC) has issued an injunction order, forbidding the closure of roads under the pretext of VIP motorcades. The joint bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Sharma and Mahesh Sharma Poudel delivered the mandamus on Tuesday, responding to a writ petition filed by Advocate Dyaneshwar Koirala on February 2, 2018.

The writ petition, which named the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Nepal Police as defendants, asserted that ordinary citizens were facing undue hardships due to road closures during VIP motorcades.

On February 6, 2018, the SC initiated a show cause order, directing the defendants to submit a written response within 15 days. However, Koirala claimed that the Nepal Police failed to provide a written reply.

The petitioner, Advocate Dyaneshwar Koirala, argued that roads should not be cleared at the expense of public inconvenience during VIP movements, citing instances where common citizens were affected when the President and Vice President traveled.

Emphasizing the violation of fundamental rights during road closures for official ceremonies, the petitioner demanded the revocation of provisions causing such restrictions and urged the issuance of a mandate to ensure the utmost respect for fundamental rights as per the constitution. As of now, the Supreme Court has not released a written order on the matter.

This decision by the Supreme Court marks a significant step towards safeguarding the rights and convenience of the general public, setting a precedent against the unwarranted closure of roads in the name of VIP movements.