Kathmandu, Sept. 27 -- Former chief justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, who was taken into police custody from his residence in Maharajgunj early Sunday, has been released into the care of relatives, police said.

Rameshwar Karki, superintendent of police at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, said Rana had been handed over to his relatives.

"We will provide security at his home," Karki said.

Police arrived at Rana's residence at around 3am while he and his family members were asleep and took him with them, saying there was a security threat to him.

Rana told the officers he had not been informed of any such threat and asked them instead to deploy additional security personnel at his residence.

It remains unclear whether Ran...