RAUTAHAT, April 26: District Court Rautahat sentenced four individuals including former Nepali Congress (NC) leader Mohammad Aftab Alam to life imprisonment.

A single bench of Judge Matrika Prasad Acharya on Thursday sentenced four individuals including Alam to life imprisonment.

Among those sentenced to life imprisonment are Mohammad Aftab Alam, his brother Mohammad Mahatab Alam and two others Sheikh Sarad and Badri Sahani.

The court convicted them for the murder of individuals injured in the bomb blast that occurred on April 9, 2008, in Rajpur, Rautahat.

On November 4, 2019, a case was filed against them for the crime of murder and attempted murder by using explosives including 'bombs'.

Of the total 11 defendants in that case, four have been sentenced to life imprisonment. One person was acquitted by the court. According to registrar of the court Uddhav Dhodari, Mukti Shah was acquitted.

Similarly, in the case of six individuals, the case has been postponed. Among those whose cases have been adjourned are Mohammad Mobin, Shekh Fajale, Shekh Bhadi, Sahir Alam, Gauri Shankar Sah, Sheikh Jumai.

The judgment was passed after the conclusion of debates in the District Court on April 22. 12 lawyers, three representing the plaintiff's side and nine representing the defendant's side, presented arguments in Judge Matrika Prasad Acharya's single bench.

Advocates Gopal Krishna Ghimire, senior advocate Yudaa Nath Khanal, former judge and senior advocate Sabir Hussain, Aftab Alam, Mazharul Haque, and Lalbabu Yadav represented the defendants, while lawyers Pushparaj Paudel, Bikas Basnet, and District Attorney Badri Bahadur Karki argued on behalf of the victims.

The bomb blast occurred in Rajapur, Rautahat, on the eve of the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections. It was alleged that the blast victims were thrown into a brick kiln and burnt to conceal the truth. The court's final decision marks the conclusion of a prolonged legal process in the case.

NC leader Alam is currently serving his life sentence in the Central Jail's detention cell.

 
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