KATHMANDU: Kathmandu District Court on Monday sent Nepal’s outgoing Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara to custody in jail for an attempt to rape case filed against him.

A single bench of Judge Sudarshanraj Pandey made the order following the conclusion of a bail hearing for him.

With the court’s decision, Mahara has to stay at Dillibazaar Jail until the court delivers a final verdict on the case. However, Mahara has been left with an alternative to appeal to higher courts. Following the order, Mahara has been suspended as a lawmaker. He had already resigned as Speaker following the allegation.

Mahara has been accused of attempting to rape a female employee at Parliament Secretariat which he has been denying.

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 had 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 the female employee.