Ramhari Kafle, head of the District Public Prosecutor's Office, Kathmandu, informed that the decision was made because there was not enough evidence to prosecute Mahendra Gautam and that the case has been sent to the High Public Prosecutor's Office for review.
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The District Attorney's Office, Kathmandu, has decided to acquit Mahendra Gautam, who was arrested on 22 Magh on charges of setting fire to Singha Durbar during the 24 Bhadra protest. The office has decided not to prosecute Gautam, saying there is no basis or reason to file a case against him. The decision has been sent to the High Attorney's Office, Patan, for consideration.
He had uploaded a video on social media claiming to have set fire to Singha Durbar. The police arrested him after 5 months. The District Court, Kathmandu, issued a remand order and kept him in custody for investigation. He had boasted that he had returned after setting fire to Singha Durbar. The police arrested Gautam from Chitwan on the basis of the video and initiated an investigation. The Kathmandu Police Range arrested him.
The arrested Gautam was a resident of Khairhani Municipality-9, Chitwan and had been residing in Anamnagar, Kathmandu Metropolitan City-29. He said in the video, ‘We broke the gate of Singha Durbar and set fire to all the offices, starting from the Home Ministry.’
He was also given an extension of time by the Kathmandu District Court for criminal nuisance. Ramhari Kafle, Chief of the District Public Prosecutor’s Office, Kathmandu, informed that the decision was made due to lack of evidence to prosecute Gautam and that it was sent to the High Public Prosecutor’s Office for confirmation.
Ishwori Prasad Dhakal, Chief of the High Public Prosecutor’s Office, Patan, said that the file received from the District Public Prosecutor’s Office stating that the case would not be prosecuted is under study. The decision made by the District Public Prosecutor’s Office will come into effect if it is confirmed by the Attorney General’s Office. If the Attorney General’s Office does not confirm the decision to prosecute the case and asks for a case to be prosecuted, a case must be filed. The decision made by the District Public Prosecutor’s Office is initially confirmed by the High Public Prosecutor’s Office and the decision is submitted to the Attorney General’s Office. The decision is made through the Deputy Attorney General's Office and then to the Attorney General. An officer at the District Attorney's Office said that this decision was made under pressure from Attorney General Savita Bhandari, who had previously come into controversy by granting immunity to the 'Hope Fertility Center' in egg smuggling, which was in conflict with her interests.
Bhandari had also decided some time ago to withdraw the indictment of more than 50 people, including Ravi Lamichhane, Chhabilal Joshi, and GB Rai, for money laundering and organized crime in cooperative fraud. After the decision was disputed, a writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court, while the Kaski and Rupandehi District Courts have issued orders saying that the hearing will be held only after the Supreme Court's decision.
