The Special Court on Sunday granted the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) permission to extend custody of journalist and Sajha Yatayat Chairman Kanak Mani Dixit to 10 days.

The anti-graft body had sought a 30-day extension to investigate into corruption allegations levelled against him. A full bench of Justices Mohan Raman Bhattarai, Mahesh Prasad Pudasaini and Prabha Basnet also ordered the CIAA to arrange for his medical treatment and allow him to meet his legal advisors.

Dixit, who was admitted to Bir Hospital on Saturday after complaints of heart ailment, did not attend the court proceedings. Prosecutors argued that the CIAA enjoys the rights to taking the corruption accused into custody to complete the investigation.

They accused Dixit of violating the law by defying orders and not cooperating with the CIAA despite repeated notices to appear before it.

Defence lawyers senior Advocates Shambhu Thapa and Satish Krishna Kharel, however, argued the CIAA move as revenge against their client for opposing Lokman Singh Karki’s appointment as the chief of anti-graft body and demanded he be released unconditionally.

“It’s nothing more than personal vendetta by Lokman Singh Karki after Kanak Maniji opposed his appointment as the CIAA head,” said Thapa, questioning, “If Kanak Manji embezzled property of Sajha Yatayat, why other members of Sajha are left scot-free?”

The CIAA had taken Dixit into custody on Friday, as part of its investigation into complaints against him that he had amassed property disproportionate to his known source of income. Dixit was among the 29 high-ranking public figures who were summoned by the CIAA in December last year.

The anti-graft constitutional body has said that it is investigating into complaints against Dixit that he has amassed property by abusing his position as Sajha Yatayat chairman and bought real estate in the United States and transferred the ownership of the land belonging to Madan Sumsher Rana and his wife Jagadamba Rana in his name illegally.