Kathmandu, January 12

Kathmandu District Court today summoned government witnesses, including doctors who examined Roshani Shahi, and investigated forensic evidence.

Shahi, a staffer at the Parliament Secretariat, had filed a first information report against former speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara accusing him of attempt to rape.

Mahara is in judicial custody. According to KDC Registrar Anand Shrestha, Judge Amar Raj Paudel issued the order asking the doctors who examined Shahi, and experts who investigated forensic evidence in the case, to record their statements in the court.

The court also ordered those persons who had signed the crime scene deeds prepared in the case, to record their statements. Shrestha said accounts of witnesses are considered credible only when their statements are examined by the court and hence the court ordered the witnesses to

record their statements.

A few days ago, Patan High Court had issued an order to the KDC to adjudicate the case within one month. Shahi had filed an FIR on October 4, accusing Mahara of attempting to rape her at her rented apartment in Kathmandu. Mahara, who resigned from the post of speaker following an attempt to rape allegation has denied all charges.