KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has resumed the hearing of the long-pending case against former Speaker and Vice-Chair of the Maoist Center, Agni Prasad Sapkota.
The case, which has faced multiple delays over the years, is being heard in the Constitutional Bench.
The hearing, currently underway, is being conducted by a bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut and Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Manoj Kumar Sharma, and Kumar Chudal.
The writ petition was originally filed by Purnimaya Lama of Kavre on November 22, 2012, demanding an investigation into the murder of Arjun Lama, chair of the Krishna Secondary School Management Committee in Chhatrabanjh, Kavre. Lama was murdered by Maoist cadres during the Maoist insurgency in April 2006.
The victim’s family has alleged that Sapkota was involved in the incident, as he was leading the Maoist movement in Kavre at that time. Additionally, human rights activists Kanakmani Dixit and Sushil Pyakurel also filed separate writ petitions seeking action against Sapkota.
Earlier, on September 25, 2024, the court had demanded a progress report on the case. A previous bench led by then Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, along with Justices Prakash Man Singh Raut, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Prakash Kumar Dhungana, and Kumar Regmi, had instructed the concerned authorities to submit an investigation report.
The case was initially referred to the Constitutional Bench after a preliminary decision by the bench of Justices Sushila Karki and Om Prakash Mishra.
Despite the passage of nearly two decades, the Supreme Court has yet to deliver a final verdict on the case. The Constitutional Bench is expected to address the procedural delays and move towards a resolution.
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