There are rumors that the accused in the kidnapping, rape, and murder of three-year-old Garima Chaudhary of Jitpur Simara Sub-metropolitan City-1 in Bara were released by the court.
Ranju Darshana, a lawmaker from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), also wrote on social media that if the issue raised by opposition lawmakers in Parliament was true, it would be unacceptable.
“An opposition lawmaker said in Parliament that those accused of the brutal rape and murder of three-year-old Garima Chaudhary were released on bail. If this is true, we will not tolerate it, Government. Should those who commit such serious crimes be kept under surveillance, or shown leniency? Let this information be false. Let it be false,” she wrote.
However, the information shared by Darshana appears to be incorrect.
After learning that the information was false, she clarified that the two juvenile suspects had been sent to a juvenile correction home.
Records from the Bara District Court show that separate hearings were held on two different days in connection with charges of kidnapping and unlawful confinement of a minor, rape, and murder.
The two main suspects in Garima Chaudhary’s murder are minors. In cases involving minors, the court forms a juvenile bench to conduct the proceedings.
Accordingly, a hearing for the two juveniles was held on Wednesday before Judge Prakash Kumar Adhikari’s juvenile bench. Their identities have been withheld and they have been referred to as Narawasti (A) and Kalam (A). Both were sent to a juvenile correction home.
The court ordered that the two juveniles be sent to a correction home for trial after considering the charges and possible punishments, the evidence collected during the investigation and the relevant provisions of Section 18 of the Evidence Act, 1974. The court also cited Section 24(2)(a) of the Children’s Act, 2017, taking into consideration the possibility that their lives or physical safety could be at risk.
The court said that it ordered the two juveniles to be sent to a correction home based on statements, documents, and other evidence submitted before it.
The court considered the complaint, the post-mortem inspection record supporting the complaint, statements in which the two juveniles allegedly admitted to the incident, the doctor’s statement regarding the incident, the victim’s post-mortem report, and the sexual health examination reports of the two juveniles as evidence.
The court also ordered that Rs 200,000 be provided to the victim’s family from the Victim Relief Fund.
Other defendants in the case were accused of acting as accomplices.
A complaint was filed against Progress Chaudhary, his father Indrajit Chaudhary, mother Babita Chaudhary, sister Mamata Chaudhary, wife Pushpa Chaudhary, Nabin BK, Bindu Chaudhary, Sabita Chaudhary, Sheikh Hasimuddin Alam, and Tek Bahadur Thapa Magar.
In the case of Progress Chaudhary, the court ordered him to submit Rs 20,000 in bail. It said that, based on the evidence currently available, it could not rule out his involvement in the offense.
The court ordered him to remain on trial on a date set by the court after submitting Rs 20,000 in cash bail, an equivalent guarantee, or an unlimited bank guarantee, subject to further examination of the evidence.
As for the other defendants – Indrajit, Babita, Mamata, Pushpa, Nabin, Bindu, Sabita, Sheikh Hasimuddin Alam, and Tek Bahadur Thapa Magar – the court said that there was currently insufficient basis to consider them guilty.
Judge Prakash Kumar Adhikari’s bench therefore ordered on Thursday that they be released on ordinary bail and remain on trial.
