KATHMANDU,June28: The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of 10 doctors arrested on the charge of using 'fake' academic certificates to pursue medical profession.

Responding to the petitions filed by the family members of the doctors, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki and Justice Gobinda Kumar Upadhyay quashed the petitions stating that it was unnecessary as the doctors have been remanded to police custody by the district court.

The bench has also asked the doctors to support the ongoing investigation into the certificate fraud issue.

Family members of Nimesh Pal Raman, Pannalal Prasad Patel, Binita Mandal, Punam Karna, Irshadul Haq, Shree Ram Ghimire, Ram Kumar Pradhan, Santosh Kumar Jha, Mahammad Ruhullah and Saroj Kumar Singh on June 19 had moved the apex court with habeas corpus petition arguing that the Nepal Police overstepped its jurisdiction in arresting the doctors.

A team of Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) had arrested 36 doctors on June 19 on the charge of using fake certificates for pursuing medical profession. The arrest was said to be made following an investigation by the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) and the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB).

Meanwhile, the Kathmandu District Court on Monday remanded the 36 doctors, including the 10, to five-day police custody.

Although the police had sought a 20-day remand, a bench of Judge Ram Prasad Adhikari allowed the police to keep them in custody only for five days.

 
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