Advocate Purna Chandra Paudel, who has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court demanding the repeal of Judicial Council’s recent decision to nominate 11 Supreme Court justices, today began a fast unto death on the premises of Nepal Bar Association, demanding immediate hearing on his petition. Advocate Paudel, began his fast unto death after filing an application today at the court stating that no hearing took place although his case was listed for hearing 14 times. “My sole demand is that the SC should start hearing on my case immediately,” he told THT. He said the path for him to get justice was obstructed as hearing on his case was postponed every time. “There are other cases that were filed later but were heard by the court,” the petitioner said. The petitioner has stated in his application addressed to the chief justice that out of 14 times his case was listed in the cause list, the case was postponed 11 times, and three times his case was assigned to Justice Jagadish Sharma Paudel. The petitioner said he had the reason to request the justice to recuse himself from presiding over the case but he did not get a chance for the same as the hearing was postponed time and again. The petitioner said since Justice Paudel had issued an interim order in a writ filed by Jyoti Baniya and since Baniya had also filed a petition seeking to be an opponent in the case, Justice Paudel should recuse himself from presiding over the case. Registrar of the SC Shri Kant Paudel told THT that he was not aware of advocate Paudel starting a fast unto death but the court had not ignored any standard procedure or rules in prioritizing his case. “There are only six justices to try the cases as three justices have gone for inspections (of the court),” the registrar said and added that all the cases had been listed in the cause list as per the standard priority list. He said the petitioner’s case would be listed in the cause list when other similar cases would also be listed in the cause list.