The Supreme Court has instructed the government to furnish an explanation within 15 days on why Kamini Rajbhandari was dismissed as the managing director of Nepal Telecom.

A single bench of Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana issued the ruling on Sunday in response to the writ petition filed by Rajbhandari on Friday.

The court, however, did not issue an interim order to reverse Rajbhandari’s dismissal, as she had appealed in her petition.

The Cabinet meeting on August 14 had decided to terminate Rajbhandari, questioning her performance as the telecom head.  She was elevated to the post in September 2016 for a three-year term by the erstwhile Pushpa Kamal Dahal government. Rajbhandari was the first ever woman to become the company’s head.

Claiming that her “unceremonious dismissal” was a result of a conspiracy plotted by politically connected people in the state-owned telecom company, Rajbhandari took recourse to the apex court.

The court, however, did not grant her the wish to continue her job as the telecom head.

The government has justified Rajbhadari’s ouster saying that the company’s financial standing deteriorated during her tenure, as the company failed to complete projects on time and the infrastructure expansion plan could not meet the target.

Rajbhandari’s removal comes at a time when the telecom was poised to award 4G service expansion contract.

On June 10, the government had sought clarification from Rajbhandari on her handing the 12-point instructions related to improving the telecom services and quality.

On August 10, the government had sought explanation from her on why she should not be removed from the post before announcing her dismissal that same evening.