Acting on an Interpol diffusion notice, Saudi police arrested Magar and handed him over to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police on Sunday, as per a court order. Twenty eight-year-old Magar, who is considered to have been the main gunman in the killing, had left for Saudi Arabia as a migrant worker on 14th December, 2014.
Originally from Khaniyapani-7 of Ramechap district, Magar reached Saudi Arabia through Future Link International Pvt Ltd, a Ratopul-based manpower company. He then worked as a truck driver for a building construction company-Ouda Aljohani, said CIB Director DIG Hemanta Malla. But after just two months, he was arrested by local police.
"It took more than five months to complete the procedures for bringing Magar back," said DIG Malla. Saudi Arabia and Nepal do not have an extradition treaty and so a court was needed for Magar's deportation.
"We confirmed his departure from the country through his wife back in his village, the Department of Immigration and the manpower company, before we begin the diplomatic procedures," DIG Malla said while briefing the press.
Magar community demands Magarat province
Sanjay Ismaili Magar aka Bhagwan made public. (Photo: Keshab Thoker/Republica)
Police had already arrested Magar more than twice on different charges and also questioned him over the Bam murder. But a case could not be established against him, said Inspector Dadhiram Neupane, who went to Saudi Arabia to bring back the deported man.
"I was the first to shoot Bam and his bodyguard," Inspector Neupane cited Magar as saying. He said he acted as per a proposal of Babu Thapa, the mastermind, and voiced his regret at having done so.
Once he got a call from his wife about the Interpol diffusion notice against him, he realised that he would be arrested.
Justice Bam was shot dead at the UN Park in Lalitpur on May 31, 2012, while heading for work after offering puja at Banglamukhi Temple. The muirder mystery was solved after two-and-a-half years.
CIB had arrested Thapa aka Megh Bahadur, Karan Chaudhary aka Shiva, Prem Raj Khadka aka Nabin, Dipak Karna, Suraj Kumar Pokharel and Govind Upreti. Khadka was subsequently released on bail while the rest were sent to Nakkhu jail for further investigations.
Thapa had plotted against Justice Bam in revenge for issuing an interim order in a case filed over a leadership row in the Chure-Bhabar party. Keshav Mainali was chairman of the party while Thapa was vice-chairman. The two had formed different factions with two central committees through separate general conventions. The Election Commission in 2009 pronounced the Thapa-led group as authentic. However, Justice Bam overturned that decision and authenticated the Mainali-led group.
Thapa confessed to police that he plotted the murder in revenge for Justice Bam's stay order giving continuity to Mainali's chairmanship of the party.
