Sushila Karki, who is tipped to be the next Nepal Prime Minister, has an Indian connection. The jurist and author, who is Gen Z protesters’ choice to head the country, was educated at Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
Karki is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal and the only woman to have held the post. She is known for several landmark orders, including the jailing of a minister for corruption.
It was corruption and nepotism, combined with the ban on social media apps, that made the youth of Nepal take to the streets and force Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
The Gen Z protesters reached a consensus on making Sushila Karki the head of government, sources told India Today TV.
Karki, who became Nepal’s first female Chief Justice in 2016, built her reputation as a fearless judge known for her integrity and independence. Before reaching the top of the judiciary, she had a long legal career, beginning as an advocate in Biratnagar in 1979.
Over the years, she rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a Supreme Court justice in 2009 and later making history.
Her appointment as Chief Justice coincided with a symbolic moment for the country, as Nepal’s three top posts—President, Speaker of Parliament, and Chief Justice—were all held by women.
It was the KP Oli-led Constitutional Council that appointed her Sushila Karki the chief justice of Nepal Supreme Court.
During her tenure, Karki delivered several landmark rulings that cemented her image as a reformist. She ordered the conviction of Jaya Prakash Gupta on corruption charges, making him the first sitting minister in Nepal to be jailed for graft.
She presided over sensitive cases ranging from corruption in peacekeeping missions to the controversial Nijgadh Fast Track project, while also issuing progressive decisions such as allowing Nepali women to pass citizenship to their children.
In 2017, her orders provoked the ruling executive, and the ruling coalition in Parliament registered an impeachment motion against her.
The impeachment motion accused her of bias and interfering with the powers of the executive, particularly in a dispute over the appointment of a police chief, according to a report in The Hindu.
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