Kathmandu, November 10:

The government today filed a chargesheet at the Patan Appellate Court against top Maoist leaders for their involvement in the murder of Nepali Congress party’s Sanjaya Singh Dangol some three years ago.

Those chargesheeted include Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, Baburam Bhattarai, Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal and detained leaders Matrika Yadav and Suresh Ale Magar.

Accusing the Maoist leaders of violating clause 3(1) of Terrorist And Disruptive Activities Control and Punishment Ordinance (TADO) 2005, the government demanded that the accused be awarded life-term. The government has also sought the court order to confiscate their properties.

The police also produced former vice-president of ANNISU-R, Krishna KC, another accused in the murder case, before the court today, and formally charged him for his involvement in the murder almost one and a half month after he was re-arrested from the Supreme Court premises despite the SC order to release him.

Dangol was an NC cadre and had filed papers to contest for the post of Mayor of Kirtipur municipality.

An unidentified armed group killed him, and Harke, who was arrested for the murder, told the court that top Maoist leaders were involved in the case.

Harke, while recording a statement in the court, claimed that top Maoists leaders had ordered Dangol’s murder.

According to senior advocate, Bishwo Kanta Mainali, who is defending Yadav, Ale Magar, KC and other Maoist leaders, the court began recording KC’s statement immediately after the chargesheet was registered.

A division bench of judges Laxman Mani Risal and Girish Chandra Lal recorded KC’s statement today.