Kathmandu, June 29: The Special Court on Monday extended the remand of former finance minister and CPN-UML Vice-chair Bishnu Prasad Paudel by three days, allowing investigators to continue probing a money laundering case against him.

A joint bench of judges Narayan Prasad Paudel, Hemanta Rawal and Umesh Koirala granted the extension after Paudel was produced before the court for a remand hearing. Following the order, he was sent back to judicial custody.

Paudel was arrested in Surkhet on June 22 after the Department of Money Laundering Investigation launched an investigation into allegations that he abused his authority while serving as finance minister to facilitate businessman Deepak Bhatt's share purchase.

The Special Court had earlier approved his arrest warrant and granted investigators an initial seven-day remand after he was first produced before the court on June 23.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is also hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Paudel's wife, Domaya Paudel, challenging his detention. Earlier, a single bench of Justice Shrikant Poudel had directed the Office of the Attorney General and other respondent agencies to submit written responses before the hearing.

The petition claims Paudel was arrested without sufficient evidence and seeks his immediate release. The respondents include the Special Court, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Money Laundering Investigation, and the District Police Office, Surkhet.

The Department of Money Laundering Investigation is continuing its probe into the case.