KATHMANDU: A murder convict, former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Armed Police Force, has been released from prison today before completion of his full sentence.

Former DIG Ranjan Prasad Koirala was sentenced to 20 years in prison, along with confiscation of his property, by Kathmandu District Court in early 2071 BS for murdering his wife. This decision had been upheld by the Appellate Court, Patan.

However, the Supreme Court in late June this year, gave out the decision to reduce the convict's sentence. A joint bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana and Justice Tej Bahadur KC took a decision that Koirala would serve a total jail term of eight and a half years and his remaining sentence of 11.5 years would be pardoned.

In line with the apex court's ruling, Koirala walked out of the Dillibazaar Prison today morning.

He was convicted of not just killing his wife but of destroying evidence by setting her body on fire after committing the crime.