26 June 2011. Responding to a writ petition filed on 14 June 2011, the Apex Court has reiterated that there is no obstacle in implementing the court’s earlier verdict to incarcerate UCPN-Maoist CA member Balkrishna Dhungel who is convicted in the murder of Ujjen Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga on 24 June 1998.
The verdict issued by a joint bench of Chief Justice Khilraj Regmi and Justice Kamalnarayan Das has clearly stated that the law doesn’t encumber in the implementation of the court’s verdict and has clarified that there is no adequate reason for not detaining convict Dhungel. The Supreme Court has however refrained from issuing the interim order as sought by the applicant.
With legal assistance from Advocacy Forum, the petition was filed by victim’s sister Sabitri Shrestha after the implementation of Apex Court’s order on 8 September 2010. In its ruling of 8 September, the SC had upheld the decision of Okhaldhunga District Court in which the law maker was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
It may be noted however that Dhungel still continues to be an active member of the CA and is yet to be arrested.
