Kathmandu, June 26: The deadline set by the Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) of the Federal Parliament for lodging complaints against the Supreme Court (SC) justice nominees and a proposed member of the Judicial Council has officially closed.

Between June 15 and 24, the PHC received a total of seven complaints. Of these, five specifically target three individuals nominated for Supreme Court justice positions, while the remaining two raise concerns regarding a lack of inclusivity in the nomination process.

Among the complaints, two are directed at Meghraj Pokharel and Shrikant Poudel, and one is against Shanti Singh Thapa. The PHC is scheduled to meet this Thursday to review the complaints and distribute responsibilities among its members as per the committee’s work plan.

Earlier, the PHC had issued a public notice inviting citizens to submit objections if they had credible reasons to believe any of the proposed candidates were unfit for their respective roles. Submissions were accepted either at the PHC secretariat or via district administration offices.

The Judicial Council, in a meeting held on June 10, had recommended Meghraj Pokharel of Tamakoshi Rural Municipality-3 in Dolakha, Shrikant Poudel, Chief Judge of the Janakpur High Court, and Shanti Singh Thapa, Chief Judge of the Dipayal High Court, for appointment to the Supreme Court.

In addition, on June 12, senior advocate Mahesh Kumar Nepal of Bhojpur Municipality-8, Bhojpur, was proposed as a member of the Judicial Council. His nomination came under the President's quota, based on a recommendation by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

People’s News Monitoring Service