Police have arrested a man convicted of attacking Prem Chalaune, a sociology teacher at Tribhuvan University.

Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupendra Khatri, the head of Kathmandu District Police Range, confirmed that Rabin Kumar Lama, a resident of Siraha, was apprehended from Tokha on Tuesday.

On November 23 last year, the Kathmandu District Court convicted six student leaders affiliated with the ruling Nepali Congress of attacking the lecturer.

A single bench of judge Binod Khatiwada sentenced Hari Acharya, Yogendra Rawal, Rupesh Sah, Nabin Kumar Lama, Niraj Ranamagar and Sayuj Shrestha to two years in jail and slapped fines of Rs20,000 each. They were convicted as per clause 192(5) of the Criminal Code.

Chalaune, who teaches sociology at the university campus in Kirtipur, was brutally assaulted on the campus premises on October 6, 2020, by a gang including Acharya, TU chapter president of the Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Students Union (NSU); Rawal, secretary of the same organisation, along with other members of the union.

Chalaune had sustained serious injuries on his head, chest and thighs, and spent a month in hospital. As the assailants enjoyed close ties with the ruling party of that time, the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led Cabinet on June 13 last year decided to withdraw the cases against them even as a case of attempted murder against the assailants was sub judice at the district court.

The decision was widely criticised but Dahal’s ministers at the time defended it saying that Chalaune had provoked the students. The Supreme Court ordered the government not to implement its decision to withdraw the cases.