Former Gandaki Province minister Deepak Manange released after serving jail term

KATHMANDU: Former Gandaki Province minister and provincial assembly member Deepak Manange (Rajiv Gurung) was released on Wednesday after serving his prison sentence.

Manange had been convicted in a homicide case and was sent to Dillibazar Jail on November 12, 2024. Following his conviction, he was suspended from his position as a provincial assembly member.

The Kathmandu District Court on March 7 granted him a 20 percent reduction in his sentence, under Section 41(a) of the National Code, after Manange submitted a petition on February 24, 2025, requesting early release.

Judge Kamal Prasad Pokharel issued the order, reducing the remaining sentence of Manange by 20%. This decision follows Manange’s application for the reduction under Section 41 (a) of the National Penal Code, which allows a 20% reduction if the convicted person surrenders within 60 days of the final verdict.

As a result of the reduction, Manange’s prison term will now be shortened by one year. He had been sentenced to five years in prison by the Supreme Court on November 5, 2025, after a ruling from the Patan High Court. He was arrested on November 12, 2025.

According to Section 41(a), prisoners who surrender to the court within 60 days of the final judgment are eligible for a 20 percent reduction in their imprisonment and fines. Applying this provision, Manange’s jail term was shortened by one year, allowing him to be released on Wednesday.

Previously a minister and member of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly, Manange was convicted for his involvement in an attack on a rival gang leader, Chakre Milan, in 2004. He had been serving time since 2018, with the Supreme Court granting him bail in 2018, allowing him to fight his case while out on bail.

Manange served two terms in the Gandaki Province Assembly and held ministerial positions for a total of five years. Prior to his latest release, he had already served two years and eight months of his prison sentence and was required to complete an additional two years and four months, but the 20 percent reduction allowed him early release.