District Judge Kul Prasad Sharma has said the court could pass its verdict in the murder case of Krishna Prasad Adhikari at the end of next hearing. The case was filed in the Chitwan District Court four years ago.

Krishna, 19, of the then Fujel VDC-7 of Gorkha, was allegedly abducted and murdered in Chitwan by former Maoist rebels, charging him with spying for the state forces. “The court has fixed the final hearing of the case on August 5. The final verdict can be issued on the very day. All of the due processes of the case have been completed,” said Judge Sharma at a press conference on Monday.

Even though the court heard arguments from both plaintiff and defence lawyers a long time ago, the verdict on the case has been pending due to repeated rescheduling of final hearing. The lawyers held the last discussion on the case in September 2016. The case was filed at the court on April 13, 2014.

Krishna’s father Nanda Prasad Adhikari died in course of an indefinite hunger strike in September 2014. Krishna’s mother Ganga Maya has been staging an indefinite hunger strike since May 29, demanding arrest of the murder accused.

On Sunday, Chhabilal Poudel, the main accused in the 2004 murder of Krishna Prasad, surrendered to the Supreme Court.