Review Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal, February 18, 2020:Former Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) Krishna Bahadur Mahara has returned home on Monday after spending nearly five months in judicial custody on rape attempt charge against Roshani Shahi, female employee of the Parliament Secretariat.
The Kathmandu District Court (KDC) gave him a clean chit passing a verdict that there was not enough evidence to prove the accusation against Mahara. Though the hearing was completed on Sunday, the bench had scheduled the pronouncement of the verdict for Monday.
Kathmandu District Attorney's Office (KDAO) had filed the rape attempt case against Mahara seeking seven and half years of imprisonment. The KDAO had claimed five years for rape attempt and two and half years for misusing his power.
Responding to the charge, Mahara had tendered his resignation from the post of Speaker stating that his resignation from the post of speaker will be effective until the investigation is completed and subsequently he was also suspended from his position as a lawmaker.
Responding to a complaint filed by Shahi, he was arrested on October 6. However, Shahi had filed separate petition in court stating that the police had forced her to file the complaint and that Mahara was innocent. The latest petition filed by Shahi has become a base to make the verdict though her similar plea made before the police was not taken as a note.
Mahara has welcomed the court verdict to acquit him of a charge of rape attempt stating that the court verdict proved that the allegation against him was false. Issuing a statement Mahara has appreciated the court and extended thanks adding ‘finally the allegation against me has been proven wrong.’ ‘My first priority will be to defend self-governance in the country in the coming days as in the past,’ states the release.
Immediately after the decision to acquit him, Mahara was taken to Dillibazar prison in order to complete the necessary process for his release. Hundreds of party cadres had gathered in front of the gate to celebrate his release.
Interestingly, his supporters had chanted slogans against of the US grant- Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Since, the ruling head Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has vertically divided over the issue of MCC, a section of NCP cadres have a claim that Mahara was falsely accused of the rape-attempt charge ‘for not expediting the process to endorse the MCC agreement through parliament.’
Though Mahara has got clean chit from the charge he won’t be able to lead the HoR because his colleague Agni Prasad Sapkota has already become the Speaker. However, he would able to return to parliament as a ruling party lawmaker after getting the full text of the court verdict acquitting him of the rape attempt charge. Nevertheless, Court’s acquittal decision would not enough to revive his lost standings in the politics.
