Accused of putting pressure on judge to acquit Alam, demand to see call details
A complaint has been filed in the Judicial Council against Law Minister Ajay Kumar Chaurasi for putting undue pressure on the judge to acquit former minister Mohammad Aftab Alam. Shailendra Sah of Rautahat filed a complaint on Monday with the demand to investigate the relationship between ex-officio member of the council Chaurasia and related judges.
Alam, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Court Rautahat for the crime of killing two youths injured in the bomb blast, was acquitted by Judges Khushi Prasad Tharu and Arjun Maharjan of the Temporary Bench of the High Court Janakpur on June 14.
After widespread criticism of the judgment, the Justice Council has started an inquiry against Justices Tharu and Maharjan. They were summoned to the Supreme Court and an investigation was started. Supreme Court Justice Vinod Sharma has been entrusted with the investigation.
Minister Chaurasia went to Birgunj for four days before the acquittal and called the judges in other cases besides Alam to pressurize them to give the verdict as per his request.
Sah has mentioned in the complaint that he heard through various channels that Alam was acquitted due to the pressure and financial manipulation of Law Minister Chaurasia. Earlier in Parliament on Thursday, MP Amresh Singh also demanded an investigation against Law Minister Chaurasia, accusing him of pressurizing the judge by calling him to decide the case.
The district court sentenced Alam and three others to life imprisonment on 13 Baisakh 2081 for the crime of burning to death Trilok Pratap Singh Rajput and OC Akhtar in a brick kiln, who were injured in the bomb blast on 27 Chait 2064 in Rautahat.
Hearing the appeal against it, Alam was released from Nakhu Jail after the bench of Justices Tharu and Maharjan acquitted him. Shah's complaint to the Council of Justice states, "After investigating the call detail report of Law Minister Chaurasia and Judges Tharu and Maharjan, action should be taken in accordance with Section 14 and Article 1 (c) of Article 142 of the Constitution for the violation of Section 10 d, J and Section 11 f of the Council of Justice Act, 2073.
Law Minister Chaurasia has claimed that arbitrary and baseless allegations have been made against him. "I have never called any judge," he told Kantipur, "this is a false and unsubstantiated charge against me." He said that a few days before the
case broke out, he went to Birganj and its surroundings. "But I went there for the work of the Ministry of Law, I attended the program all day and in the evening I came and stayed at my own house in Birganj," he said, "where did I meet which judge?" Can't even go to work in the ministry?'
Chaurasia went to Parsa on the morning of June 9. He said that on that day, he went as the chief guest to the training program of the Ministry of Law held in Parsagadhi Municipality and stayed at his private residence in Birganj in the evening.
According to him, the next day, a similar program was held in the town hall of Virganj. On that day too, Minister Chaurasia says that he stayed in the program all day and went home. "There was a training program, mayors came to it, I'm not alone for a moment, and how did I meet the judges?," he said.
According to Minister Chaurasia, the next day, the ministry also held a program with the minister at Gadhimai in Bara. He said that he went there in the morning and came home in the evening and returned to Kathmandu the next morning. "My call details are seen, but the one who calls me random should also be seen, right?," he said.
Minister Chaurasia claimed that he did not call any judge of any court, not only Judges Tharu and Maharjan. He has also given a challenge to find out who called him. "Not only with the judge, I have not spoken or met anyone from Alam's son or his family," he said, "If the judicial council investigates me, I am ready to help."
