A division bench of the Supreme Court (SC) declined the release of three former royal ministers Ramesh Nath Pandey, Shrish Shumsher Rana and Nikshya Shumsher Rana and passed their habeas corpus petition to a full bench of the apex court.

A joint bench of justices Kedar Prasad Giri and Tap Bahadur Magar passed the order saying that due to change in special circumstances, the Public Security Act 2046 BS needed to be interpreted, just like in the past, by the full bench of the Supreme Court.

Five former ministers of the royal cabinet were arrested by the new government for engaging in conspiracies against the pro-democracy demonstrations and put under preventive detention on 12 May. Pandey and Rana duo then filed writ petitions challenging the government's decision.

Now a full bench comprising five or more Justices of the apex court will take up the petition. The date for hearings is not yet fixed.

Some rights groups have criticized the new government's decision to detain former ministers under the Public Security Act.