Kathmandu, Sept. 21 -- The Supreme Court has dismissed writ petitions filed by French company IN Groupe (Idemia), which had challenged the government's decision to award the contract to print Nepali passports to a German company.

A division bench of Justices Kumar Regmi and Shrikanta Poudel on Monday dismissed four writ petitions pending before the Supreme Court in connection with the dispute. The court, however, issued a directive order in a separate writ petition filed by advocate Kusum Kishor Koirala. The full text of the verdict has not yet been released.

The ruling provides relief to German company Veridos, which secured the passport-printing contract and is currently printing Nepali passports.

Idemia had moved the Supreme Court a...