Kathmandu, June 29

The Supreme Court today conducted a hearing of the case filed by Rajib Gurung alias Dipak Manange seeking to file a memorandum of appeal against his conviction verdict pronounced by the Appellate Court, Patan.

According to Manange’s lawyer Advocate Sunil Kumar Pokharel, Manange had filed a petition against SC registrar’s refusal to file a memorandum of appeal against his conviction. Appellate Court, Patan had convicted Manange five years ago for attempting to murder Milan Gurung alias Chakre Milan in 2007. Manange, who had spent two years in jail in the case, will have to serve three more years in jail.

A single bench of Justice Cholendra Shamsher JB Rana heard the case and ordered to procure case files including the registrar’s refusal order. Pokharel said his client had argued that the court did not duly serve notice to his address, and therefore, he should be allowed to file a memorandum of appeal now after posting bail.

Manange is currently serving the remaining jail sentence in Dillibazar Prison.

Pokharel said that when the court served notice to Manange informing him to file a memorandum of appeal if he was not satisfied with the court verdict, the court served the notice at a wrong address.

He was on the run since his conviction came to light in January when the Supreme Court heard the case of other defendants in the case.

Manange could have challenged his conviction within 130 days, but did not do so although he says the court did not duly serve the notice to him.

Manange, who won the PA seat from Manang province (B) in the provincial election, would have been disqualified from contesting elections had anyone filed a complaint during the Provincial Assembly elections citing his conviction.