On the second day of the hearing on cases against Lokman Singh Karki, the suspended chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, his lawyers on Friday argued that the decision to review the case by the Supreme Court was against its own verdict.

A full bench of Justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Anil Kumar Singh started hearing cases against Karki, in which his qualification and “high moral character” to hold the post of the chief of the anti-graft body have been challenged.

Senior advocate Balkrishna Neupane and advocate Madhav Basnet, who argued on behalf of Karki on Friday, claimed that Karki “meets all the required qualification to head the constitutional body”. Presenting court precedents, the duo also argued that the decision to review the case “goes against the apex court’s own earlier verdict”.

A full bench of Chief Justice Sushila Karki and Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha on September 17 had granted permission for a review of an earlier verdict which had quashed the petition against Lokman Singh Karki’s appointment.

Karki was appointed as the CIAA chief in May 2013 as per the recommendation of the Constitutional Council which had given the go ahead to his name based on deal among the major political forces. Karki was appointed CIAA chief in May 2013.

Advocate Om Prakash Aryal had moved the apex court, claiming that Karki “falls short of required qualification to hold the post”. A division bench of Justices Gopal Parajuli and Om Prakash Mishra, however, quashed the petition on September 24, 2014.

Aryal then again moved the SC on November 24 last year, and responding to Aryal’s writ, the Sushila Karki-led bench on September 17 decided to review the case, saying the earlier verdict was against the principles of constitutional construction.

Karki’s lawyers on Friday based their arguments on the apex court’s decision to review the petition which was earlier quashed.

The bench on Friday heard the defence lawyers till 3pm, when the court closes, and scheduled the next hearing for January 5. The bench on Friday also granted permission to Karki and former law secretary Pramod Karki to appoint representatives on their behalf. Karki was roughed up on Thursday on the premises of the SC.