KATHMANDU: Former Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who has been kept at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Singha Durbar, will remain in police custody during the Dashain festival.

Police will produce him before the court and ask for his judicial custody only on October 15 as the courts are closed for Dashain festival.

Mahara could also be jailed for up to five years if found guilty of attempting to rape Roshni Shahi, a staffer at the federal parliament secretariat.

According to the Criminal Code 2017, a person raping a woman older than 18 years will have to face a jail term of seven to 10 years. However, an attempt to rape carries half the sentence. This means that Mahara will be jailed from a minimum of 3 to 5 years if found guilty.

Meanwhile, Mahara has been currently kept at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Singha Durbar with the amenities necessary for VIPs following his arrest on Sunday.

Police had arrested Mahara from the Speaker’s official residence in Baluwatar following the Kathmandu District Court’s issuance of arrest warrant on Sunday.

A bench of justice Brajesh Pyakurel had given the permission to the police to arrest Mahara and to investigate.

Roshni Shahi had on Friday filed a complaint at the Metropolitan Police Circle, New Baneswor against Mahara alleging the latter of attempting to rape and assaulting her.

Shahi had last week accused Mahara of rape and assault.