The Supreme Court on Thursday registered a writ petition filed by Kulman Ghising challenging his dismissal from the position of managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

According to Nirajan Pandey, information officer at the apex court, a preliminary hearing on the case has been scheduled for Friday.

Ghising submitted the petition through his representative on Wednesday.

Ghising has named the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, along with the Ministry of Energy, as defendants in the case. He has sought an interim order to annul the government decision and reinstate him immediately.

A Cabinet meeting on Monday dismissed Ghising, who had only four months remaining in his tenure, from his position as NEA’s managing director. He has been replaced by Hitendra Dev Shakya.

In response to the sacking, opposition parties have raised concerns, with political leaders questioning the timing and legality of the dismissal. Ghising’s case has sparked further discussions regarding governance and transparency in public sector appointments.

Lawmakers obstructed meetings in the House of Representatives as well as the National Assembly. They demanded Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s explanation for Ghising’s dismissal.

In the meantime, various groups took to the streets in support of Ghising on Wednesday afternoon.

While opposition parties have been demanding the prime minister’s clarification on the matter, Oli, addressing a programme in Kathmandu on Wednesday, has urged them not to exaggerate the issue, describing the dismissal of a government employee as a routine administrative activity carried out within the government’s jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has asked the newly appointed NEA managing director Shakya to amend his writ petition.

Shakya filed the petition on Wednesday, seeking a resolution to a three-and-a-half-year-old case. However, the top court administration found procedural shortcomings and granted him time to correct them.

Registrar Bhadrakali Pokharel discussed the matter with Shakya’s legal representatives before allowing the amendment. After the petition was returned, the legal representatives have planned to refile the petition today, according to a source.

Shakya had moved the court challenging the then government’s decision to transfer him from the position of NEA managing director to the Energy Commission, claiming it was wrong and demanding the reinstatement of the facilities to which he was entitled.

The then Sher Bahadur Deuba government in 2021 had appointed Ghising in the position, transferring Shakya to the commission.

The hearing for the petition is scheduled for June 24, 2025.