Former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana was taken from his Maharajgunj residence early Sunday and later released, while police have yet to clearly explain the security threat that prompted the action.
The incident began at around 3am on September 27, when police officers arrived at Rana’s residence while he and his family were asleep. According to accounts reported by The Kathmandu Post, police initially described the action as a detention or arrest.
Several hours later, police gave a different explanation, saying Rana had been moved to a safe location because of a perceived security threat.
Rameshwar Karki, superintendent of police at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, said Rana had been brought to the office after police received information indicating a possible security concern.
Police later said there was no plan to pursue a criminal case against Rana and that he would be released.
Rana’s family, meanwhile, said they were not informed of any criminal charge against him. A family member said Rana had asked police to strengthen security at his residence rather than take him elsewhere.
By the afternoon, police confirmed that Rana had been handed over to his relatives and that additional security would be provided at his home.
The episode has left several important questions unanswered.
Police have not publicly disclosed the specific nature of the alleged threat, who was believed to pose it or what intelligence prompted officers to remove Rana from his residence.
It also remains unclear whether the operation constituted a formal arrest, a detention or protective custody.
Reports from multiple Nepali news outlets said police did not present an arrest warrant when they took Rana from his home. Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed explanation of the legal basis for the action.
The National Human Rights Commission also sought to check on Rana after he was taken to the Criminal Investigation Office, although reports said its team was not initially allowed to meet him.
Rana served as chief justice of Nepal from January 2019. His tenure was interrupted after an impeachment motion was registered against him in the House of Representatives in February 2022, resulting in his suspension.
The impeachment process remained unresolved for years. After the parliamentary session ended, the Federal Parliament Secretariat declared the motion inactive, a decision that was subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court.
On September 9, 2026, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench ruled that the impeachment motion had lost its purpose and dismissed four related writ petitions.
The ruling came only weeks before the latest police action involving Rana.
Rana's release means the immediate detention has ended, but the circumstances surrounding it remain unresolved.
Authorities have yet to publicly establish what specific threat prompted the operation, why taking Rana from his home was considered necessary, or what formal legal status applied to him during the hours he remained under police control.
For now, police have maintained that the action was taken for Rana’s security and have said that no criminal case was being pursued against him.
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