For Resham Lal Chaudhary, the alleged key schemer of the Tikapur carnage of August 2015, the Kailali District Court’s verdict has perhaps given a jolt since he was ‘convinced’, as observers argue, that the government would withdraw the case against him. Observers, however, are equally worried about the repercussions in the political spectrum.
The Kailali District Court on Wednesday gave the long-awaited verdict, sentencing Chaudhary and 10 others to life imprisonment.
Recall the August 24, 2015-Tikapur incident when eight police personnel, including an SSP of Nepal Police, and a toddler were lynched during a protest rally organized by the Tharus of Tikapur expressing disenchantment over the constitution draft.
From this very day, Chaudhary, the alleged mastermind in the Tikapur incident, reportedly went into hiding more than two years.
Wednesday’s verdict has irked the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal because Chaudhary is an elected lawmaker representing RJP-N.
Consider what Rajendra Mahato, a presidium member of the party told Khabarhub: “The decision is unacceptable. People will give the final verdict from the streets.”
Mahato’s strong-worded remarks indicate gloomy days ahead in the political spectrum because he categorically termed the court’s decision “unacceptable”. If this is the case, Mahato said Prime Minister KP Oli, Nepal Communist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, too, be sent to the jail.
Laxman Lal Karna, leader of RJPN, too, is disgruntled with the government’s indifference on the issue “despite its assurances of withdrawing the case against Chaudhary”.
“We were earlier assured that the government would withdraw the criminal case against Chaudhary, who is our lawmaker,” Karna told Khabarhub.
Chaudhary, who had lodged his candidacy for the federal parliament through an agent, won the election by securing 34,341 votes cornering his competitors with a difference of around 19 thousand votes.
RJP-N, which has extended its support to the government, is in fact, riled at the latter’s adamant attitude. “It’s high time that RJP-N reconsidered its support to the government,” Karna said.
Earlier on February 26 last year, the Kailali District Court had decided to detain Chaudhary, who surrendered before the court, for ‘further investigation’. Since then, he has been behind bars at the Dilli Bazar Jail in Kathmandu.
It has to be recalled that the Supreme Court, too, had refused to release Chaudhary, who is also a singer and a journalist.
Interestingly, Chaudhary was also sworn in as House of Representatives member on January 3, 2019, even though his case was sub-judice. Despite this, he was not allowed to participate in the parliamentary proceedings.
Comment