SYANGJA, Sept 18: District Police Office (DPO), Syangja on Monday arrested Devi Bahadur Gharti, 65, of Chapakot-8 who was convicted of murdering Jit Bahadur Rana of Palpa, 42 years ago.

On March 15, 1977, Rana had reached to the Kaligandaki River for observing a fair organized on the occasion of Chaite Dashain when Gharti along with his friends killed him and threw the body in the river. Rana, who served in the Indian Army, was on a leave to visit his home at that time.

Rana's elder brother had filed a complaint against 12 persons back then. On January 31, 1980, the District Court convicted them of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. But Gharti remained hidden in India. However, Ratnapur Police found him from his elder brother Bal Bahadur's house on September 6.

As per the verdict of the District Court, Gharti was sent to jail for life imprisonment, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and Spokesperson of DPO Prakash Bista. Earlier, the defendants had filed a case at the Appellate Court demanding scrapping of the District Court's decision. However, the Appellate Court upheld the verdict of the district court on November 7, 1982.

He was not the only convict who was at large after the murder as there were several others. However, some of them have reportedly died, according to police. Gharti was a peon at Chapakot Irrigation Project when the incident occurred. Police are still searching for other convicts.

 
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