KATHMANDU, August 12: The Supreme Court has demanded a written reply from Nepal Academy explaining the reason behind the demolition of Kavikunj- the house of Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota.
A single bench of Justice Tej Bahadur KC on Wednesday sought a written reply from the defendants including Nepal Academy in a petition filed by Advocate Sanjay Adhikari. The petitioner alleged that the house of archeological importance was demolished.
Earlier, the Academy had argued that the house of the poet laureate Devkota in Maitidevi was demolished to make a museum. The Academy further stated that the demolition was the only option as the dilapidated building was not suitable for retrofitting.
However, the petitioner sought an interim order to stop the demolition of Mahakavi Devkota's house immediately as it would destroy the heritage associated with him. The apex court has called for a discussion saying that it should decide whether to issue an interim order after listening to both the parties.
Meanwhile, cultural experts and archaeologists have demanded that the house of the great poet Devkota be retrofitted without demolition. Advocate Sanjay Adhikari had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a halt in the demolition of Devkota's house. He argued that the building should be protected as a site of historical importance.
After the demise of the great poet Devkota, Kavikunj was left destitute for almost two decades. The government had planned to buy and build a museum after it was severely damaged by the mega earthquake in April, 2015.
The Nepal Academy has been demolishing the 80-year-old house of the great poet Devkota to make a museum since last week. His house was bought by the government for Rs 25 million.