KATHMANDU, Nov 12: While the hearings over Mohammad Alam's involvement in killing nearly two dozen people in a bomb blast and subsequently throwing them into a brick kiln is underway at Rautahat District Court, the victims are changing their court statements. Lawyers for the victims say the court statements are being changed under pressure in an attempt to weaken the high-profile mass murder case.

Amina Khatun, wife of Mohammed Osi Akhtar, one of the locals reportedly killed in the bomb blast and later thrown into the brick kiln, has now claimed that Osi is abroad in course of foreign employment. Osi Akhtar's mother, Ruksana, was killed by an unidentified group after she filed a complaint demanding that Alam and others involved in killing her son in the bomb blast and then burning them in a brick kiln be booked.

Several complaints jointly filed by Ruksana with Sri Narayan Singh Rajput, whose son Trilok Pratap was also killed in the incident, state that Alam and his men were responsible for the killing . They state that Osi Akhtar was killed in the bomb blast. The complaint was filed before Ruksana died.

Amina's claim, according to lawyers for the victims, contradicts her family's previous statement and evidence. Even though Amina claimed her husband is abroad she had received his death certificate from ward number 4 of Yamuna Mai Rural Municipality, Rauthat, some two years ago [See Death Certificate].

After getting the death certificate of her first husband, Amina married her brother-in-law, according to lawyers.

Like Amina, Gauri Shankar Ram Chamar, one of the survivors of the bomb blast, had earlier stated that he was injured in the blast while campaigning for Alam during the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections. But the injured on Monday said he was injured in a stove blast, not any bomb blast.

“Since Alam is involved in mass murder, his people are adopting all possible measures to save him,” said advocate Om Prakash Aryal, one of the lawyers for the victims, adding, “That's why the victims are changing their statements under pressure or for money.”

Advocate Aryal complained that Alam's supporters are terrorizing the lawyers, the people in the district and even top politicians in Kathmandu who are standing together with the victims for their justice.

“The victims are illiterate, so they are changing their statements under pressure. It's a matter for investigations and those involved in creating pressure on the victims should be booked on the charge of obstructing justice.”

Last month, the Nepal Police arrested Nepali Congress leader Alam on the charge of involvement in committing several murders in Rautahat district in April 2008.

Alam, who is also a former minister, has been accused of killing 22 persons in a massive blast in Rautahat. The blast, which occurred at the cowshed of Alam's relative when the victims were making bombs, had allegedly left 14 dead and eight injured. Alam has been accused of taking the blast-injured and the dead to a nearby brick kiln and throwing them into the furnace to destroy any evidence.

Later, it was learnt that all those killed were making bombs to create terror in the Constituent Assembly elections to secure Alam's win.

Following the police investigations the district court is conducting hearings over Alam's involvement in the killings.

 
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