Single bench of judge Narayan Prasad Dahal ordered the release of Singh on ordinary bail. The judge gave the order after hearing from Singh and Ful Hassan Ansari `Bibek`, whose statement to the police had led to Singh’s arrest, for about six hours.
Babban Singh greets his supporters after the court released him on bail.
Upendra Lamichhane
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Soon after the arrest on Saturday, Singh was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Narayani Sub-Regional Hospital, Birgunj after he complained of illness. During a press conference he called inside the hospital on Tuesday, he accused a Maoist CA member behind the murder of journalist Uma Singh. He had also accused the Maoist-led government of arresting him to divert the attention from the Uma murder.
On Sunday, the court had remanded Singh for three days in judicial custody.
During the hearing, `Bibek` made a U-turn while giving his statement. While pleading innocent in the murders of Birgunj-based businessmen Rajesh Kyal and Jata Shankar Sah, `Bibek` said he didn’t even know Singh, let alone implicating him in the murder. His statement made the government prosecutor’s case weak.
During the hearing, `Bibek` claimed that the police forced him to implicate the CA member in the murders.
Following Singh’s release, his supporters who had called strike in Birgunj town in the wake of the arrest welcomed him by playing musical bands and garlanded him with flowers and vermillion powder.
Singh told journalists that though the government tried to entrap him, it failed. He is likely to hold a press conference on Thursday.
