A hearing is taking place today at the Supreme Court of Nepal regarding the controversial presidential pardon granted to former lawmaker Resham Chaudhary, who was convicted in the Tikapur Massacre.
The case was filed by Sharada Bohara Kadayat, the wife of police inspector Keshav Bohara, who was killed in the incident. She has challenged the decision to grant amnesty by naming the President’s Office as the respondent.
A joint bench of Supreme Court justices Abdul Aziz Musalman and Shreekant Paudel is hearing the petition.
Earlier, Chaudhary had been sentenced to life imprisonment by district and appellate courts, a verdict that was upheld by the Supreme Court. However, on the occasion of Republic Day, President Ramchandra Paudel granted him a pardon based on the government’s recommendation led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Following the pardon, Chaudhary was released from Dillibazar Prison, despite having years remaining on his sentence.
The Tikapur incident occurred in 2015 during protests demanding a Tharuhat province before the promulgation of Nepal’s new constitution. The violence led to the brutal killing of eight people, including seven security personnel and a child.
The Supreme Court is now expected to examine whether granting amnesty in such a serious criminal case was legally and constitutionally valid.
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