Kathmandu, Oct. 30 -- On Thursday, the Naya Patrika daily published a bombshell report detailing a WhatsApp exchange between Supreme Court Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal and Inam Sapkota, a man accused of using connections with powerful figures to influence state institutions.

The revelation has brought Nepal's judiciary under renewed scrutiny, raising questions about possible attempts to influence court proceedings, Phuyal's own conduct and the deeper institutional fault lines within Nepal's highest court.

Here's what you need to know about the unfolding controversy, explained in five points.

1. What do the leaked WhatsApp exchanges reveal?

The messages show Sapkota sending Phuyal a screenshot of businessman Rohit Gupta's habeas corpus p...