The Janakpur High Court has upheld the district court’s verdict in the case related to the murder of environment activist Om Prakash (Dilip) Mahato.
The court’s registrar Yam Bahadur Budha Magar said that a joint bench of Judges Mahendra Nath Upadhyaya and Dhruba Kumar Piya upheld the district court’s verdict in the case after the final hearing on Wednesday.
On February 24, 2023, the Dhanusha District Court handed jail sentence and fine to three individuals convicted in the murder of Dilip.
Bipin Mahato, the operator of Churiya Mai Crusher Industry and mastermind of the murder, and worker Munindra Mahato were each sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined Rs 500,000, while Jitendra Mahato was jailed for 12 and a half years and fined Rs 250,000 for his role as an accomplice in the murder.
Dilip, 24, of Sripur, Mithila Municipality-4, was hit and crushed by a tipper (Na 7 Kha 6413) at around 4:30 AM on January 10, 2020, while he was on the way to the Aurahi River to stop illegal extraction of stoned and sand taking place there. He died on the spot.
Dilip was doing engineering in India. He had been opposing illegal mining of stones and sand from local rivers.
Following an investigation into the case by the District Police Office, the Government Attorney’s Office filed a case against seven individuals.
The district court, however, acquitted Bipin’s elder brother Binod Mahato, and workers Satya Narayan Mahato, Shatrughan Mahato and Roshan Kumar Yadav.
Dilip’s family and the Government Attorney’s Office then moved the high court against the district court’s decision.
Dilip’s family is not satisfied with the high court’s order either. His sister Laxmi Mahato said that they are preparing to go to the Supreme Court as the high court could not give them justice.
