Kathmandu, June 4 -- Nepal's Supreme Court on Wednesday issued an order to initiate criminal investigation against former House Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota on a case relating to the crime committed during the Maoist insurgency war.

A constitutional bench of the apex court comprising five members- Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Manojkumar Sharma and Kumar Chudal made the order while hearing over the case of alleged abduction and murder of Arjun Bahadur Lama in 2005 which involved Sapkota during the Maoist insurgency.

Three separate writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court which included the one filed by Lama's wife, Purnimaya Lama, over 14 years ago. Hearing over the case had been ...