Feb 23, Kathmandu - The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Secretary General Dharmendra Raj Bastola.

On Monday, a panel of Supreme Court justices, led by Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal, heard the petition for his release and dismissed the request for his immediate release, according to Arjun Prasad Koirala, the court's registrar and spokesperson.

The court also ordered the government to provide the reasons for Bastola's arrest.

Bastola was detained by police on for allegedly participating in activities to boycott the upcoming House of Representatives elections scheduled for Falgun 21.

Following his arrest, Shobitra Kumari Wali filed a habeas corpus petition against the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, the Chief of Kathmandu District Police, the District Administration Office Kathmandu, and other authorities, seeking his release.