The DAO, however, has decided to pardon Shah for what he did at Tiger Tops. Though the amnesty will come into effect only if he promises not to repeat such acts in future. [break]
“Shah will have to sign a written commitment within 35 days promising not to indulge in such acts in future,” said Chief District Officer of Chitwan Basanta Raj Gautam, whose single bench concluded the Tiger Tops case on Wednesday.
Shah was accused of firing in the air following a fracas with Rubel Chaudhari, a Bangladeshi national who happens to be the son-in-law of Nepali Congress (NC) leader Sujata Koirala, on December 12 in the Tiger Tops lodge in Chitwan. Two days later, shah was airlifted from Pokhara to Chitwan for an interrogation.
Shah was released on bail after he deposited Rs 10,000 at the DAO on December 16 because Rubel backtracked from what he told journalists immediately after the incident and refused to file a formal complaint against Shah. In previous hearings of the case, Rubel even denied having seen Shah holding a pistol and, as there were no other eye-witnesses, the DAO had to charge Shah only for breaking law and order in public place by indulging in a brawl, the weakest one of all potential charges that the DAO could frame on the former crown prince.
The DAO has held Shah guilty of breaking law and order on the basis of his own confession. “The fact that Shah himself confessed to have lost his temper and indulged in a heated debate with Rubel has proved his guilt,” the DAO said in its verdict in the Tiger Tops case. Shah was absent at the Wednesday´s hearing.
Shah´s lawyers had defended him, arguing that the DAO can not convict the former crown prince of causing commotion in public place as the Tiger Tops lodge is away from human settlement.
Ganesh Shah, the chief lawyer, expressed satisfaction at the DAO not being able to hold Paras guilty in the most serious charge, the possessing and firing an illegal pistol in a public place.
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