A petition has been registered at the Supreme Court demanding action against Lokman Singh Karki, the suspended chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, for obstructing the court proceedings.

Advocate Om Prakash Aryal, in his petition, claims that Karki abused his authority to influence officials to delay the delivery of the court summons at his residence.

The court had summoned Karki to defend his appointment as the head of a constitutional body. It was Aryal who had filed a petition claiming that Karki’s appointment was unlawful as he did not meet all the requirements of the office.

The court delivered the summons last month in its third attempt. First, court officials went out of contact, while the “locals” barred officials from pasting the notice at his residence the second time.

“Obstruction of the judicial procedure is punishable by law,” said Aryal. “The so-called local people prevented court officials from carrying out their duty at Karki’s behest.” Chairman of the Agriculture Development Bank and former secretary at the Law Ministry Pramod Karki, Karki’s son-in-law Prawal Thapa, Sub Inspector Nakulraj Gautam and members of the so-called Ward Citizens Forum have been named as defendants in the case.

According to provisions of the Civil Code, such obstruction is punishable with 15-day imprisonment and Rs1,000 fine or both.

Karki was suspended as the CIAA chief after an impeachment motion was registered against him in Parliament.