Earlier on Tuesday, acting on a writ petition filed by advocate Govinda Prasad Sharma ´Bandi´, the SC had instructed the Office of the Attorney General not to obstruct the statement-recording of the accused in the Dekendra Thapa murder case. [break]
Bandi had filed the petition after Attorney General Mukti Pradhan -- reportedly at the behest of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai -- instructed the Dailekh police and the Dailekh District Attorney´s Office to halt statement-recording of the accused. Forced to comply with AG Pradhan´s written order, public prosecutors had halted the statement-recording from Friday.
However, public prosecutors could not restart the statement-recording as they did not obtain a written copy of the SC´s order till Wednesday evening.
“We were all planning to resume the statement-recording on Wednesday,” said inspector Binod Sharma, who is investigation officer of the Dekendra Thapa murder case. “But, we could not receive the SC´s written order.”
The locals of Dailekh district, who carried out a rally to welcome the SC´s order, were disappointed at the delay in resumption of the statement-recording.
Public prosecutors have recorded statements of only Lachhi Ram Gharti and Nirak Bahadur Gharti so far. Statement of Bir Bahadur KC, recorded by the police, is yet to be verified by the District Attorney of Dailekh.
Statements of Jay Bahadur Shahi and Hari Lal Pun are yet to be recorded. On Wednesday, Shahi and Pun were taken to the District Attorney´s Office for recording their statements. But, they were returned in the evening without prosecutors recording their statements.
Meanwhile, the extended seven-day remand of Shahi and Pun is expiring on Thursday. Inspector Sharma said Shahi and Pun will be produced before the district court on Thursday for another extension of the remand.
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