Chief whip of the ruling CPN Dev Gurung has met former speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara at the Dillibazar Jail on Thursday.
Gurung told Setopati that he visited Mahara, who has been sent to prison for judicial custody in the case of attempting to rape federal parliament secretariat staffer Roshni Shahi, to take stock of the latter's health condition and provide legal consultation.
"He was unwell and I received information about his health," Gurung stated. "He was also seeking legal consultation. We also talked about that."
He revealed that Mahara has undergone health check-up even on Thursday. "He was being checked when I went there. We didn't talk for long. I remained there while drinking tea and asked about his health during that time. I also talked about legal consultation."
Former speaker Mahara was arrested on October 6 on charge of attempting to rape federal parliament secretariat staffer Roshni Shahi at her rented apartment on September 29.
Recording of Mahara's statement was completed on Friday. He has claimed that he reached near Shahi's apartment that evening but did not meet the victim.
Shahi had claimed an inebriated Mahara reached her rented apartment in Tinkune with a bottle of whiskey when there was no one else in the apartment and raped her.
She had called the police within an hour of the alleged incident and a team from Metropolitan Police Circle, New Baneshwore had immediately reached her rented apartment in Tinkune and recorded details from her.
The video statement recorded by the police at the site of incident that night has been considered the strongest evidence in the charge-sheet filed with the court.
Shahi claimed, in the video interview given to journalist Ajay Babu Shiwakoti the next day, that Mahara hurriedly went out after she threatened to complain to police.
The police had recovered broken spectacles and insole of shoe from Shahi's apartment on the night of incident. Tests have showed the power of recovered spectacles is similar to that used by Mahara. This is the second strongest evidence against Mahara.
