The Supreme Court on Monday issued an interlocutory interim order barring the CPN-UML from building any structures on land donated by businessman Min Bahadur Gurung, for now.

A single bench of Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel issued the order in response to a writ petition filed by Gyan Bahadur Basnet and Shyam Krishna Maskey, who sought to halt construction on the land.

Gurung, owner of the Bhatbhateni supermarket chain, donated the land and announced plans to build the UML’s central office and hand it over in a year, sparking controversy due to his legal history. In February last year, he was sentenced to two years in prison and fined over Rs8 million for his involvement in the Lalita Niwas land grab scam. He was released on bail in September but was later detained again by the CIB on charges of forging government documents. He was subsequently released.

On October 11, Prime Minister and UML chair KP Sharma Oli, along with party leaders, laid the foundation stone for the UML headquarters on the Gurung-donated 10 ropani and 14 ana of land (0.55 hectares) in Maitrinagar, Kirtipur Municipality Ward 2.