SC hearing Bharati’s writ against released murder convict Regal

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) is set to convene for a hearing today regarding a writ submitted by Bharati Sherpa, who is seeking justice in her husband’s murder case involving Yograj Dhakal, also known as Regal.

As per reliable sources within the SC, the case has been assigned to a bench comprising Justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Sapana Pradhan Malla, and Dr. Kumar Chudal.

This case pertains to the pardon granted by President Ram Chandra Paudel on the Constitution Day..

Bharati Sherpa, the wife of the late Chetan Manandhar, has approached the Supreme Court, expressing concerns about the premature release of the convict after serving only eight years of his sentence. She contends that the punishment meted out to the criminal was insufficient, leaving her in constant fear.

In her writ, Bharati has named various government bodies as respondents, including the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the District Administration Office Banke, the District Administration Office Dang, the Prison Office Dang, the Attorney General’s Office, and Yograj Dhakal, also known as Gill.

On July 13, 2015, a group of approximately 15 individuals, including Regal, tragically ended Chetan’s life in front of the Jyoti Simtali Hotel on the main road of Nepalgunj-16 in Banke. In the ensuing legal proceedings, the Banke District Court handed Regal a life sentence.

Presiding over the case, Judge Bishnu Subedi of the Banke District Court issued the verdict on the  April 24, 2018, imposing a life sentence on Regal, along with the forfeiture of all his assets.

The district court’s ruling stipulated that Regal should remain incarcerated until August 2035, given his arrest on August 24, 2015. However, in honor of Constitution Day and on the government’s recommendation, the President granted Regal an early release from the remainder of his imprisonment.

The most recent hearing for this case was conducted on October 12.

Following the Dashain festival, Bharati has resumed her hunger strike in Maitighar, Kathmandu, as she continues to seek justice for her husband.