Nepal unrest: Who is Sushila Karki? First female chief justice and now frontrunner to lead interim govt

Nepal’s Gen Z protest movement has chosen former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as its interim leader, news agency ANI reported citing sources. In a virtual meeting lasting nearly four hours, young organisers agreed that no youth connected to political parties should assume the role, and settled on Karki as the figure to represent them in upcoming negotiations, local media outfit Khabarhub reported.

The decision came as Kathmandu remains under curfew, with soldiers deployed to restore order after government buildings, politicians’ homes and even the parliament were torched by furious demonstrators. The protests, triggered by a controversial social media ban, have spiralled into a wider rejection of corruption, nepotism and entrenched political elites. At least 19 people have been killed and hundreds injured since the unrest began.

Who is Sushila Karki?
Karki made history in 2016 when she became Nepal’s first female chief justice. But her tenure was cut short the following year when lawmakers filed an impeachment motion accusing her of “delivering biased verdicts” and interfering in the executive’s jurisdiction. The motion followed her court’s decision to overturn the government’s police chief appointment, ruling that seniority had been unfairly bypassed.

Although she was automatically suspended while the investigation proceeded, the impeachment process failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority before her retirement in June 2017.

• Born on June 7, 1952 in Biratnagar, Nepal.
• Studied Law at Tribhuvan University (1978) and Political Science at Banaras Hindu University (1975).
• Served as Chief Justice of Nepal from July 2016 to June 2017, the first woman to hold the post.
• Faced impeachment in 2017 after ruling against political interference in police appointments.
• Previously worked as a justice of the Supreme Court, senior advocate, and law professor.
• Author of a book on gender equality and long-time member of human rights and women’s judicial organisations.
• Recognised with awards including the Sambhav Kanoon Puraskar (2004).

Earlier, Kathmandu’s young mayor, Balendra Shah, widely known as “Balen” also emerged as a likely figure to lead the interim government. The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, studied structural engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University in India. He rose to prominence through Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene, using his music to speak out against corruption and inequality. In June 2023, he made headlines by banning Indian films in Kathmandu over a line in Adipurush.