Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Gagan Thapa has slammed the government's decision to release former Maoist leader Balkrishna Dhungel convicted of a murder granting him presidential pardon on the occasion of Republic Day.
Speaking ahead of the joint meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) and National Assembly before unveiling of the budget, Thapa pointed that the Supreme Court (SC) has already ruled on Dhungel's case that grave crimes cannot be pardoned citing they come under the purview of Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The government had recommended to the President for waiver of the rest of his sentence as per the provision of clemency for those convicts who have served 40 percent of sentence and displayed good behavior.
Thapa also questioned how Dhungel can be released on the basis of good behavior when he has openly defied the court in the past and said he would issue a warrant against the justice who has issued one against him. "The king used to decide who was displaying good behavior and who was not. This is republic. You PM are not a king to decide he has displayed good behavior," Thapa reminded.
Dhungel was released from Dilli Bazar Jail Tuesday morning after the presidential pardon.
Dhungel, who was moving freely despite the Supreme Court (SC) slapping a life sentence on him on a murder case, was arrested from Patan on October 31, 2017 after Dinesh Tripathi lodged a contempt of court against the then Nepal Police IGP Prakash Aryal for not implementing the court’s order.
Dhungel was charged of murdering Ujjan Kumar Shrestha in Tarkerabari-7, Okhaldhunga on June 24, 1998, during the Maoist insurgency due to personal animosity.
Okhaldhunga District Court had sentenced Dhungel to life imprisonment along with confiscation of all property for the murder of Shrestha on May 10, 2004. The Appellate Court Rajbiraj overruled the verdict and acquitted Dhungel on June 25, 2006. But the SC upheld the district court verdict on January 3, 2010.
Dhungel had become Constituent Assembly member from Okhaldhunga-2 on Maoist ticket by the time the SC upheld the district court verdict, and the Apex Court’s verdict was not implemented.
