KATHMANDU, Feb 7: Bidhyananda Raya and his brother Shivananda Raya of Chinnamasta Rural Municipality-1, Barahi Birpur of Saptari, were sentenced to life on Monday on the charge of killing their sister-in-law. District Judge Hemanta Rawal's bench slapped a life term on them eight years after the murder. The court said that both the accused are still absconding.

Eighteen judges of the Saptari District Court have already seen the case, which has been stalled for eight years. Despite repeated motions, on January 30, the case was moved for the 61st time, but a decision could not be reached. The district court had ordered Shivananda to be released on a bail of Rs 20,000 on July 19, 2017 and Bidhyananda on a bail of Rs 15,000 on September 17, 2017. After the Rajbiraj bench of Janakpur High Court upheld the order on  June 21, 2018, Bechan, the son of the deceased, filed a petition at the Supreme Court against the order on August 5, 2018.

The Supreme Court overturned the orders of both the subordinate courts and ordered both the accused to be remanded into custody on June 21, 2020. Both accused are absconding. A 66-year-old Rajyawati Amatyani, known as Rajeshwari Devi Raya died on April 2, 2015, as she was struck with a stick and an iron rod when the domestic dispute escalated. Her son Bechan had filed a complaint at the District Police Office on the same day of the incident on April 27, 2015.

Bechan, who was suffering financial loss and mental stress due to the unnatural delay in announcing the decision on the case, expressed his satisfaction with the verdict. The other accused were Shivananda's wife Manjudevi Raya, Bidhyananda's wife Bindudevi Raya, his son Chandankumar Raya, younger brother-in-law Kamananda Raya and his wife Renudevi Raya were acquitted.

 
• murder
 
• accused
 
• life_imprisonment