Murder convict CPN (Maoist Center) leader Bal Krishna Dhungel was arrested and sent behind bars on Tuesday.

A team of Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested Dhungel from Satdobato in Lalitpur and presented him before Kathmandu District Court in Babarmahal. The court sent him to Dillibazaar prison. He has to spend 12 years 5 months and 22 days behind bars.

The Supreme Court (SC) had convicted Dhungel for the 1998 murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga and ordered life term with confiscation of property. The Okhaldhunga District Court in 2004 had convicted Dhungel for the murder of Shrestha and sentenced his to life imprisonment, but in 2006, the Rajbiraj Appellate Court gave him a clean chit. The apex court in 2010 overturned Rajbiraj Appellate Court’s decision and upheld Okhaldhunga District Court’s verdict.

The arrest comes after a contempt of court writ was filed at the SC against Inspector General Of Police (IGP) Prakash Aryal.

Senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi had filed a writ against IGP Aryal on April 12 for neglecting the SC’s verdict to arrest murder convict Dhungel.

Responding to a contempt of court case filed by Tripathi, the very next day the apex court had asked the police chief to deploy all its resources, arrest Dhungel and present him before the court within a week.

The Supreme Court on April 13 had ordered IGP of Nepal Police to arrest Dhungel and put him behind bars within a week.

He was elected lawmaker in 2008 Constituent Assembly elections.

The Baburam Bhattarai government in November 2011 had recommended presidential clemency for Dhungel, but it was rejected by the court.

Despite the SC order, Dhungel had been walking free, largely due to the protection from his party.

In the writ, advocate Tripathi has demanded action against IGP Aryal as per the law.

Later, then Chief Justice Sushila Karki had also issued a directive to arreste Dhungel within a week.

Then rebel Maoist cadres under the command of Dhungel had murdered Shrestha on June 24, 1998. Later, Shrestha’s brother Ganesh Kumar filed a complaint at the District Police Office, Okhaldhunga.

The Maoist cadres on September 24, 2012 also killed Ganesh Kumar accusing him of filing complaint at the District Police Office.

Based on the complaint, the Okhaldhunga District Court in 2004 had convicted Dhungel of the murder. Following the verdict, Dhungel spent some time in jail. He was on the run since then.

Protest against Dhungel’s arrest

Meanwhile, the cadres of CPN (Maoist Centre) have staged protest against the arrest of leader Dhungel in Okhaldhunga .

Central Chairman of Court Victim Association, which was formed two years ago, and Maoist Centre politburo member Baburam Gautam has condemned the arrest of Dhungel by the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government. 

“We want immediate release of Dhungel,” said Gautam, adding, “The whole district party condemned the arrest. The move of Nepali Congress (NC) government will have a big impact.”

The Court Victim Association had time and again been staging demonstration arguing that Dhungel should not be arrested.

ALSO READ: YCL demands immediate release of Dhungel 

CPN (MC) demands prompt release of Dhungel 

(All photos: Sanjog Manandhar)