A single bench of Judge Meghnath Bhattarai also issued an arrest warrant against mastermind Parshuram Basnet. Dhakal was abducted from Traffic Chowk, Biratnagar on June 5 at night and brutally thrashed for writing news reports against Basnet. [break]
Koirala and Rai were sent to prison amidst tight security due to the presence of a large number of Youth Force cadres on the court premises. “They are to be sent to judicial custody as available evidences do not show them to be innocent,” the order issued by Judge Bhattarai said.
Morang district chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) had filed a complaint against Basnet and his accomplices at Morang Police a day after the attack.
Koirala was nabbed immediately and Rai was arrested a few days later. However, Basnet has been absconding since the attack on Dhakal.
Thirty-two out of 68 lawyers got their turns in the initial hearing to plead on behalf of Dhakal that started on Sunday.
7-day warrant against Basnet
The district court has also issued a seven-day arrest warrant that was received by Morang Police on Wednesday. “If police fail to nab Basnet within seven days a notice with a 70-day deadline would be issued,” said registrar at the district court Bhishma Prasai.
“We have received the arrest warrant and it is being forwarded across the country,” Chief of Morang Police SP Pradhumna Karki said.
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