KATHMANDU: A leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been found to have participated in Friday’s protest in Tinkune, organized by royalist supporters.
Dr. Rajkumar Rai, former chair of RSP Khotang, was among those arrested in connection with the violent demonstration, which resulted in two deaths and the destruction of public and private property.
The Kathmandu District Court granted police a five-day extension to investigate Rai, who was arrested alongside 41 others. Rai had reportedly become inactive in RSP following his defeat in the party’s district convention.
Before the protest, he had even called for a gathering in Tinkune through a Facebook post.
Among those arrested are Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Senior Vice President Rabindra Mishra and General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana.
The court has allowed the police to investigate 11 individuals, including Mishra and Rana, under sedition and organized crime charges, while 30 others face charges of criminal mischief and organized crime.
The violent protest, led by controversial figure Durga Prasai—who remains at large—led to the deaths of television journalist Suresh Rajak and Sabin Maharjan of Kirtipur.
Protesters set fire to property, causing significant damage. The police have placed protest coordinator Nawaraj Subedi under house arrest, while protest spokesperson Swagat Nepal was released on Sunday.
Superintendent of Police Apil Raj Bohora confirmed that the search for Prasai is ongoing, despite his claim in a video message that he is hiding in a Kathmandu temple.
The 41 arrested individuals were presented in court on Sunday, and police now have up to 60 days to investigate them under organized crime laws.
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