The Lumbini Province Police School had issued a 15-day notice directing landless families residing on land registered in its name to remove their homes and structures. In response to a writ petition filed against the notice, the Tulsipur High Court has issued a show-cause order.
A single bench of Judge Nar Bahadur Khadka conducted a preliminary hearing on the writ petition for certiorari and mandamus filed on June 12, by petitioners including Devi Prasad Chaudhary. The court ordered the respondents to submit a written response within 15 days.
Based on the petition, attached documents, and arguments presented on behalf of the petitioners by advocates Bishnu Prasad Dhital and Bhagawat Regmi, the court directed the respondents to provide a written explanation, along with grounds, reasons, and evidence, as to why the order sought by the petitioners should not be issued. The order states that the response must be submitted through the Office of the High Government Attorney.
In the writ petition, the petitioners stated that they and their ancestors have been residing in the Namunabasti Tikuligadh area of former Sonpur VDC–5, now Lamahi Municipality–3 in Dang, where they have built houses, huts, and sheds over generations. They claimed that although the disputed land was registered in the name of the Lumbini Province Police School on March 1, 1985, they have been cultivating, possessing, and residing on the land since 1978/79 AD.
The petition further states that the notice published by the police school on May 27, 2026, directing residents to vacate the land, has directly affected their rights to residence and property. The petitioners have therefore sought the annulment of the notice and the issuance of appropriate court orders.
Meanwhile, the Lumbini Province Police School has maintained that its land has been encroached upon. According to the school, 62 households have been residing on the land without authorization, and it claims that 40 of those households also have residences elsewhere.
In the notice issued by the police school, it was stated that houses, sheds, and other structures had been constructed by unlawfully occupying approximately 14.55 hectares of land under parcel number 414, located in former Sonpur VDC–5, now Lamahi Municipality–3. The notice requested occupants to remove the structures and vacate the land within 15 days and warned that the structures would be removed in accordance with the law if they failed to comply within the specified period.
Meanwhile, the affected landless residents have submitted a memorandum to the Mayor of Lamahi Municipality requesting that the structures not be removed. They argued that they should not be displaced without alternative arrangements and urged the authorities to ensure their right to secure housing.