The Kathmandu District Court has ordered authorities to put seven individuals in judicial custody in connection with a case filed over involvement in a violent protest demanding restoration of Hindu monarchy that took place in Tinkune, Kathmandu on March 28.A bench of Judge Dhruva Raj Karki at the Kathmandu District Court issued the order late Thursday night asking the authorities to keep seven defendants in detention and release 32 others on bail.
According to Deepak Kumar Shrestha, information officer of the district court, those ordered to be detained are Durga Prasad Prasai, Saroj Gautam, Gokarna Shahi, Dandapani Regmi, Keshav Basnet, Kumar Tamang and Sushil Baral.
The individuals ordered to be released on bail have been asked to deposit amounts ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs100,000.
Various groups supporting the agenda of restoring Hindu monarchy, which was abolished in 2008, held a protest at Tinkune in Kathmandu on March 28 that resulted in deaths of two individuals including a journalist. Dozens of people were seriously injured during the violence. The protesters also resorted to vandalism, arson and looted shops.
The Joint People’s Movement, led by Panchayat-era leader Nabaraj Subedi, organised the protest, and various other forces including Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and RPP-Nepal supported it. Durga Prasai was designated as ‘field commander’ of the protest on the day.
Prasai faces charges including attempted murder, homicide, money laundering, and banking offences. He had been on the run after allegedly inciting violence during the March 28 pro-monarchy demonstration but was arrested in India on April 10 and brought to Kathmandu the next day via Bhadrapur.
RPP’s Senior Vice-president Rabindra Mishra and General Secretary and federal lawmaker Dhawal Shamsher Rana, were also arrested in connection with their involvement in the protest. They were released on bail after a few weeks in police custody.
