KATHMANDU: Leader of the erstwhile CPN Maoist (later CPN Maoist Center, now Nepal Communist Party) Balkrishna Dhungel has been granted presidential pardon from serving rest of his jail sentence.

Dhungel along with 816 other prisoners from across the country have been released on recommendation of the government for 'good conduct' on occasion of the 11th Republic Day. The Office of the President approved the government's recommendation for mercy as per Article 276.

Dhungel was doing time in the Sadar Khor (Central Prison) in Dillibazaar which also houses many other 'hi-profile' convicts. He was sentenced to life for the murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga.

Earlier on Monday, the office of the President had released a statement on providing mercy to the 817 convicts albeit not disclosing the names of the jailbirds.

The Dillibazaar prison released Dhungel on Tuesday morning.