10 November 2011. A writ petition was filed today at the Supreme Court against the controversial decision of the government to recommend the President to grant pardon to Maoist lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel, who was convicted by the Supreme Court of the murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga. The government has pronounced the case involving Dhungel as “purely a political case” and has recommended his clemency invoking Article 151 of the Interim Constitution.
Sabitri Shrestha, sister of victim Ujjan Kumar Shrestha, filed a writ petition today seeking an immediate nullification of the Cabinet’s decision. The writ has made Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, the Council of Ministers and the Office of the President as defendants. The writ has clearly stated that the decision is in breach of Article 12, 13, 32, 33(C), 100,115,116 and 151 of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) and Article 2(3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1969.
The Apex Court has scheduled an initial hearing on the petition for Sunday i.e. on 13 November 2011.
