BIRATNAGAR: A man convicted of child sexual abuse has been arrested while participating in a signature campaign organized by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in support of its chair Rabi Lamichhane.
The individual, identified as 59-year-old Artharaj Koirala from Barahakshetra Municipality-7 in Sunsari, was apprehended on Tuesday afternoon from Mahendra Chowk in Biratnagar, where the RSP was collecting signatures in Lamichhane’s defense.
The party has been organizing a nationwide petition campaign after the Supreme Court ordered Lamichhane to remain in custody in connection with a high-profile cooperative fraud case.
According to Sunsari District Police spokesperson DSP Yogaraj Khatiwada, Koirala had been on the run after being found guilty of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.
The District Court of Sunsari had sentenced him to two years in prison, imposed a fine of Rs 25,000, and ordered him to pay Rs 200,000 in compensation to the victim on July 16.
The case had been filed earlier this year in April, and while Koirala was initially released on bail during the investigation phase, he failed to serve his sentence following the final verdict and went into hiding.
Police confirmed that Koirala was arrested during an RSP corner meeting and outreach event, where party cadres were actively gathering public support for Lamichhane. He had arrived at the RSP’s Biratnagar office before joining a motorbike rally that proceeded to Mahendra Chowk.
Sources revealed that Koirala had recently returned to Nepal from Texas, USA, where he had been involved in diaspora political activities with the RSP. He is currently being held at the Area Police Office in Mahendranagar and is scheduled to be presented before the court on Wednesday for transfer to prison.
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