KATHMANDU: The verdict date for the case against former Speaker and CPN-Maoist Center spokesperson Agni Sapkota has been postponed.

Although the Constitutional Bench at the Supreme Court (SC) had scheduled the verdict for Wednesday, it was delayed due to the absence of one judge.

The writ petition, filed on charges of murder in the case of Arjun Lama from Kavre, had its arguments concluded on June 5, and a decision date was set.

However, the Constitutional Bench could not deliver the verdict on Wednesday as the Justice, Prakashman Singh Raut, was absent.

According to the SC administration, Justice Raut was in Baglung for court inspections and is expected to return only by Sunday.

Consequently, the case was added to the postponed list.

The SC will now reschedule the hearing date for the Constitutional Bench, likely on either Wednesday or Friday.

The bench, consisting of five judges including the Chief Justice, is set to hear arguments and deliver a verdict.

On June 5, the Constitutional Bench comprising Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Prakashman Singh Raut, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Prakash Kumar Dhungana, and Kumar Regmi concluded the hearing and set the decision date for June 26.

In Raut’s absence, another bench consisting of Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Prakash Kumar Dhungana, Kumar Regmi, and Manoj Kumar Sharma was formed to hear other cases.

In November 2012, Purnimaya Lama, the wife of Arjun Lama, filed a writ petition at SC demanding an investigation into the murder charges against Sapkota and other leaders.

There are three such writ petitions at SC.

The petitioners have demanded that the SC issue an order to proceed with the investigation and arrest Sapkota.

The respondents, however, argued that this incident falls under the jurisdiction of transitional justice mechanisms due to its occurrence during the conflict period.

Lama was allegedly kidnapped and murdered on April 29, 2005.