Sher Bahadur Deuba And Arzu Deuba Could Still Face Arrest If Special Court Approves Fresh Warrant

Nepal’s Supreme Court on Monday issued an interim order directing the government not to arrest former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, former Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba, based on an arrest approval previously issued by the Kathmandu District Court.

The court stated that cases investigated by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation now fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Court following changes introduced through a new ordinance published on Baisakh 18, 2083. Because of this legal amendment, the earlier arrest approval issued by the Kathmandu District Court on Chaitra 24, 2082 was deemed automatically inactive.

However, the Supreme Court clarified that Deuba and Arzu Deuba could still be arrested if a fresh arrest warrant is separately issued by the Special Court.

A joint bench of Justices Mahesh Sharma Paudel and Nityananda Pandey raised questions over the court jurisdiction involved in the case and ordered authorities not to proceed with arrests based on the previous district court approval.

The Supreme Court also pointed out procedural flaws in the original arrest request. According to the order, the investigation documents submitted by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation mentioned Sher Bahadur Deuba by name, but Arzu Deuba was referred to only as “his wife” without proper name and identification details.

Under Nepal’s criminal procedure laws, authorities requesting an arrest warrant must clearly provide the accused person’s full name, address, identifying details, summary of the alleged offense, and evidence linking them to the case. The court stated that these legal procedures and formats were not properly followed while requesting and issuing the arrest permission.

The Department of Money Laundering Investigation has been collecting property details, financial records, and other evidence linked to the Deuba family amid allegations of illegal wealth accumulation and misuse of political power. The investigation also gained public attention after videos claiming money was burned at the Deuba residence during the Gen-Z movement protests went viral on social media.

The Supreme Court further noted that although lawful arrests can be made under Nepal’s laws, such arrests must strictly follow due legal procedures and cannot be carried out arbitrarily.

Authorities had previously attempted to request an Interpol Red Corner Notice against the Deuba couple, but Interpol reportedly rejected the request, citing insufficient supporting documents.

The investigation into the Deuba family’s financial activities remains ongoing, while legal and political discussions surrounding the case continue to intensify across Nepal.

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