Suspended Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana has continued to blame others while defending himself before the Impeachment Recommendation Committee.

He even charged Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal with trying to ‘blackmail’ him: the impeachment motion against him would apparently be withdrawn if Rana agreed to voluntarily step down.

Rana, who appeared before the committee to face allegations against him for the fourth time on Sunday, said every task he performed as a justice and later as the chief justice were based on the law. Of the 43 questions listed out to be presented before Rana, members of the committee had asked 24 on Sunday. The panel had asked 11 questions in the first three days.

“He continued to blame his colleagues, former justices, the legal fraternity and even politicians while trying to defend himself,” said Min Bishwakarma, a member of the committee from the Nepali Congress. “He has failed to furnish concrete evidence while defending himself.”

On Sunday, the lawmakers had questioned his alleged bargaining in different constitutional bodies and his reluctance to implement the report by justice Hari Krishna Karki aimed at improving the judiciary. They also sought his response to the months-long protest by the legal fraternity and a joint statement from four former chief justices.

He said the former chief justices were politically motivated. Stating that Rana had lost the moral ground to lead the judiciary, former chief justices Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, Anup Raj Sharma, Kalyan Shrestha and Sushila Karki in October 25 issued the statement demanding his resignation.

“Rana said that the four former justices were not impartial but politically motivated while issuing the statement,” Ram Bahadur Bista, coordinator of the committee, told the Post.

While quizzing Rana, the lawmakers asked him about his controversial verdicts while also blaming him for using his family members and relatives as the middlemen in ‘bench shopping’.

He rubbished the allegations. “Rana even claimed the questions from the lawmakers were meaningless and that would only weaken the judiciary,” said Bista.

He ruled out the alleged corruption in the awarding of the contract for the construction of the Supreme Court building under his leadership.

“Rana said the lowest bidder was awarded the contract based on existing laws,” Laxmi Prasad Gautam, secretary for the committee, told the Post. “He also said that the construction of the building was possible after the erstwhile KP Sharma Oli government allocated the needed funds.”

The committee is planning to ask an additional eight questions as well as cross-questions on Tuesday. Though the committee will complete grilling Rana, the chances of it submitting its final report to the House of Representatives are slim. “The committee’s meeting on Tuesday will decide whether or not it can submit its report,” said Bista.

Even as the lower house has less than a week to expire, the committee still has to collect the proof to establish the allegations against Rana and hold discussions with stakeholders including the Nepal Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association.

While lodging the impeachment motion against Rana, 98 lawmakers from the ruling parties had made 21 allegations against him.

Promoting corruption in the judiciary, interfering in the appointment of the justices and judges, bargaining for a share in the government, passing controversial decisions in several cases and failing to perform his constitutional duties are some of allegations the ruling parties have levelled against him. Bista said they still need to investigate the allegations.

The next meeting of the lower house has been called for Wednesday. According to officials at the Parliament Secretariat, the House’s last meeting could be on Saturday.

“Yes, the last meeting could be on coming Saturday but the Speaker is still in legal consultations,” said a senior official at the secretariat.