Nagendra Rai, Bhupal Subba and Dawa Lakpa Sherpa, who had thrashed two policemen for seizing their dice stall - - were released under the pressure of CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP).
Rai, Subba and Sherpa are cadres of UML, Maoist and RJP, respectively, and were released through combined efforts of the parties. A constable said the leaders even rang the center for their release after the police didn´t budge.
But UML president Rajendra Rai said the trio, being lined up for Public Offense Act, was released as they were innocent. He said the guilty were absconding and the trio was released on condition of helping the arrest of the real culprits.
“The leaders were putting pressure from the day they were arrested. We held on for a while but had to eventually give up to their relentless pressure,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sanukaji Lamichhane. He said the trio was released on general date after a tripartite meeting between the political leaders, police and the victims on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the trio has accused the police of torture during detention. But the police maintained that they were beaten only while bringing them to the police station following their arrest.
A group of youths had thrashed constables Yuvaraj Shrestha and Shivaji Chaudhary under the instruction of the trio.