KATHMANDU, May 28: The government is scheduled to appear at the Supreme Court (SC) to furnish answers for the release issue of murder convicted Balkrishna Dhungel, a former Maoist Center leader. 

SC summoned the government on May 25 for reasons why Dhungel should be given amnesty. 

If the Supreme Court fails to give a verdict today, Dhungel is likely to walk free tomorrow.  On Thursday, senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi had filed a writ petition at the SC seeking stay order on the government’s decision to grant amnesty to Dhungel.

A hearing of the case is scheduled for today, according to a source. Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, Home Ministry, Ministry of Law have been mentioned as defendants in the writ petition.

The government is working to grant the presidential pardon to almost 800 prisoners including Dhungel on the occasion of Republic Day on May 29. Dhungel is currently serving his 8th year of the 20-year term at Dillibazar jail for the murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga in 1998.

As per the existing law that grants 60 percent amnesty to the prisoners if their behaviors’ found improved.

All the human right activists have expressed grave concerns over the government’s preparations to release Dhungel stating Dhungel should not be granted such a pardon as he was involved in a brutal killing. 

They stated that any decision to grant pardon under political cover to a convict of heinous human rights violation would encourage impunity and weaken democracy. 

 
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