Military

Nepal Supreme Court upholds Maoists' ban

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, March 24, IRNA
Nepal-Maoists-Court
In two significant decisions, Nepal's Supreme Court Friday upheld a ban on the Maoists and gave credence to a controversial provision in an anti-terrorism law that allowed police to detain suspects for a year without trial.

The apex court quashed a petition by a Maoist sympathizer against the Government decision to ban the rebel outfit.

The Court said no sufficient evidence was produced to substantiate that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was a political party with constitutional recognition, PTI report said here quoting officials.

The previous Government had labeled the Maoists as terrorists and banned the outfit's activities in August 2003.

In a separate verdict, the Supreme Court also ruled that the controversial provision in the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment) Ordinance, 2005, popularly known as TADO which allows security forces to detain any person suspected of terrorist activity for one year, is in keeping with the present Constitution.

This gives sweeping power to security forces to grill political activists on the basis of suspicion and without any trial.

The ordinance issued by King Gyanendra last year allowing the state to detain any suspect for a year without trial.

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