BHAKTAPUR: Bhaktapur District Court has acquitted social activist Ashika Tamang, who had been facing charges for protesting against a toll fee imposed on a suspension bridge in Sanga.
On Thursday, Judge Bishwanath Bhattarai ruled in favor of Tamang, clearing her of the charge of criminal disturbance.
Tamang was arrested last year after she tore up a receipt book and posted a video on social media, denouncing the practice of charging commuters Rs 20 to cross the suspension bridge connecting Suryabinayak Municipality-9 and Ward 10. Following her arrest, police had filed a case against her under the Public Offenses Act.
Earlier, on January 31, Judge Santosh Prasad Parajuli had ordered her release on a bail of Rs 20,000 during preliminary hearings.
Despite multiple cases lodged against her, including a previous charge of indecent behavior in Kathmandu, Tamang maintained that the fee collection on the public bridge was unjustified.
With Thursday’s verdict, the Bhaktapur court has effectively dismissed the charges filed by Suryabinayak Municipality through Jagati Police Circle, giving her full clearance.
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