The Supreme Court has directed the government not to take any action against the Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari.

Responding to a petition filed by Adhikari, a single bench of Justice Hari Phuyal issued an interlocutory interim order allowing him to resume office.

The bench has called both the parties—the government and the petitioner—on April 26 to discuss whether or not to issue an interim order.

“The court has issued an interlocutory order against the government’s decision, paving the way for the governor to continue his job until another order,” Devendra Dhakal, an information officer at the Supreme Court, told the Post.

The court has also directed the government to furnish its arguments in writing on why not to issue an order as demanded by the petitioner within 15 days.

Adhikari moved the Supreme Court on Sunday, demanding that the decision to form the probe committee be scrapped because there was no basis for setting up such a committee.

In his petition, Adhikari demanded that the court issue an interim order against the government and stop the ongoing probe by scrapping the panel formed to investigate him.

Adhikari faced an automatic suspension on April 8 following the government decision, or Finance Minister Janardan Sharma’s decision, to set up a probe against Governor Adhikari.

The government had formed the probe panel accusing Adhikari of leaking sensitive information about its decisions and not fulfilling his responsibilities effectively.

Adhikari was appointed Nepal Rastra Bank governor on April 6, 2020.

The decision to investigate Adhikari had drawn strong criticism from various quarters with economists and former central bank governors and officials calling it a misplaced action at a time when the country’s economy was facing a crisis.

The action against Adhikari had its genesis in a tussle between him and Finance Minister Sharma who has been facing criticism for failing to address the country’s economic woes and attempting to release suspicious funds [withheld by the central bank] transferred from abroad by one Prithvi Bahadur Shah.

Finance Minister Sharma is a leader of the CPN (Maoist Centre), which is a key coalition partner in the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government. Singha Durbar sources had told the Post that Deuba, in the run-up to the formation of the investigation panel, had also acquiesced to the Maoist Centre’s insistence that action must be taken against Adhikari.

Talking to the Post after the court ruling, Adhikari said he is happy that the court has done justice.

“I am yet to receive the court order [in writing] though,” he said. “I will resume office once I receive it.”