Supreme Court Demands Cabinet File on Nepal Insurance Authority Chief’s Appointment

Kathmandu — The Supreme Court has ordered the retrieval of the original file from the Council of Ministers concerning the appointment of Sharad Ojha as Chairman of the Nepal Insurance Authority. The order was issued by a joint bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut and Justice Nityananda Pandey during a hearing on Monday.

The directive came after the court began deliberations on whether to issue an interim order in a writ petition challenging Ojha’s appointment. Chief Justice Raut requested the relevant file from the government’s legal representative. However, when the government lawyer informed the bench that no such file had been presented, the court directed the removal of the file from the Council of Ministers, stating it was essential to review the file before proceeding further.

With the court now awaiting the submission of the appointment file, a date will be set for the next hearing, which may result in either an interim or final decision.

The case stems from a writ petition filed by Advocate Indira Dhamala on Chaitra 17 (March 30), questioning Ojha’s qualifications for the post. The initial hearing took place on Chaitra 20 (April 2), during which the court had called for a written response. However, the follow-up hearing on the interim order had been delayed until now.

Ojha was appointed chairman of the Nepal Insurance Authority by a decision of the Council of Ministers on Falgun 22, 2081 (March 6, 2025).