DAMAULI, JANUARY 17

Popular actor Paul Shah, alias Purna Bikram Shah, who was facing the charge of rape in the Tanahun district court, has been acquitted by the court. Judge Komal Prasad Acharya's bench decided to absolve Shah of the rape charge levelled against him, citing lack of evidence.

Earlier, a case had been filed against Shah at the district court, accusing him of raping an under-age girl. The full text of the verdict will be ready only after a few days, court Registrar Min Bahadur Kuwar said.

The final hearing of the case was postponed several times citing election.

Shah was accused of rape in Nawalpur as well. The Nawalpur District Court had cleared him of rape charge but had ordered him to pay one lakh rupees in compensation to the victim and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail over sexual abuse of a minor.

Even after being acquitted by the Tanahun court, Shah isn't likely to be freed right away. 'After this acquittal from Tanahun District Court, we hope Shah will make it out of prison soon as we have filed an appeal for his release at the Pokhara High Court,' said senior advocate Kamalamohan Wagle, Shah's lawyer.

Meanwhile, Tanahun Prison acting chief Narayan Prasad Adhikari said it couldn't free Shah immediately.

'We have yet to receive the letter from the court informing us about Shah's acquittal,' he said.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 18, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.