KATHMANDU: Outgoing Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, while recording his statement at the Kathmandu District Court on Friday, has refuted an attempt to rape charge labeled against him.

He denied the allegation that he visited the rented room of Roshani Shahi, a female employee at Parliament Secretariat, on the date which the police claim he committed the crime. Mahara claimed that he did not enter Shahi’s room on that day.

Kathmandu District Court on Friday concluded recording statements of the raped-accused outgoing House Speaker. A single bench of Judge Sudharshan Raj Pandey recorded Mahara’s statement, according to Gyan Bahadur Karki, information officer at Kathmandu District Court. Now, the process of the bail hearing will begin on Sunday.

Following the bail hearing, the court will determine whether or not to allow Mahara to post bail and be released from jail for the duration of his trial.

A rape case was filed at Kathmandu District Court against Mahara on Thursday demanding seven and a half years imprisonment.

The District Attorney Office, Kathmandu filed a case demanding a maximum of five years in jail for an attempt to rape and an additional two and a half years imprisonment for allegedly committing the crime by misusing power.

Mahara was arrested from his official residence in Baluwatar on October 6 after Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly raping Shahi.