KATHMANDU: Absconding sharpshooter Sanjaya Ismali Magar aka Bhagwan, who was allegedly involved in the

May 31, 2012 assassination of then Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam in Shankhamul, has been brought back to Nepal for prosecution from Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Saudi Arabian police had arrested him on March 24 responding to a diffusion notice issued by Interpol.

A team of the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police had gone to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to bring back the suspect in order to proceed with murder charge against him.

Saudi Arabian police handed over Magar to the CIB after fulfilling legal procedures.

Police had already nabbed four persons, including the mastermind of the crime 38-year-old Megh Bhadur Thapa aka Babu Thapa who was vice-chairman of Chure Bhawar Ekata Party.

A week after the incident, police had arrested Magar and Thapa. But both were released later for lack of evidences to establish their involvement in the murder.

Almost three years later, in January 2015, when police arrested four persons for their involvement in shooting justice Bam dead, it was revealed that Magar was one of the persons who had opened fire.

But by that time, Magar had already left for Saudi Arabia. Following a diffusion notice issued in January, 2015, Magar was arrested in Saudi Arabia by Saudi police on March 24, 2015.

Magar originally comes from Ramechhap district of eastern Nepal.

Justice Bam was killed and two others — his bodyguard ASI Mahesh Giri and one of his friends Ram Giri — were injured in the vengeful attack.

Thapa told police that he orchestrated the murder to take revenge with Justice Bam for the latter's bench had issued a stay order against his leadership in the party, and reinstated Keshav Prasad Mainali as the party chairman.

A frustrated Thapa, who expected to reap political benefits including the position of State Minister for Home Affairs in the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led Cabinet later, then decided to take revenge with the justice who supposedly blocked his political ambitions.

He had apparently ganged up with Magar, Karan Chaudhary (38) aka Shiva of Janakpur, Prem Raj Khadka (28) of Sarlahi, and Deepak Karna (38) of Janakpur to get rid of Justice Bam.

Chaudhary and Magar were hitmen while Khadka assisted in the plot by ferrying the shooters on motorcycle. Karna, on the other hand, followed the justice to acquire information about his movements and helped carrying pistols.