Former Supreme Court Justice Prakash Wasti passed away last night due to a heart attack.
The 71-year-old Wasti was rushed to Norvic Hospital in Thapathali for treatment on Friday night after suffering a heart attack. However, he passed away the same night, according to Supreme Court spokesperson Achyut Kunwar, citing family sources.
Wasti, who served as a government attorney for a long time and worked at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), was appointed as a Supreme Court justice on Bhadra 22, 2065 BS (September 7, 2008). Later, as his tenure was not extended, he retired on Chaitra 29, 2070 BS (April 11, 2014), as a temporary justice of the Supreme Court.
While at the CIAA, Wasti gained recognition for prosecuting numerous corruption cases. In 2064 BS (2007), he played an active role in a committee formed to establish a judiciary free of corruption and malpractices. Under his leadership, the committee reported the influence of middlemen both inside and outside the courts.
After retiring from the Supreme Court, Wasti served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission for six years. In recent years, he remained active in the fields of justice and law through research, studies, and writing books.