Rautahat, November 4

A charge-sheet has been filed against Nepali Congress’s suspended lawmaker Mohammad Aftab Alam in connection with the Rajpur blast and the subsequent murders of the injured and witnesses.

As per the police recommendation, District Government Attorney’s Office today filed a 39-page charge-sheet at the District Court of Rautahat. Police had presented an 800-page investigation report, along with its recommendation, seeking imprisonment until death or life imprisonment along with confiscation of his property for Alam on the charge of murder. Alam has also been charged with attempted murder and causing explosion.

Ten other persons accused in the charge-sheet have been absconding.

They are Mohammad Mahatab Alam, Mohammad Mobin Alam, Shekh Bhadai, Shekh Seraj, Shekh Fajale Haq, Sagir Alam, Shekh Malakar, Gauri Shankar Sah, Badri Sahani and Mukti Sah.

Police have asked the court to issue arrest warrants against them.

According to District Government Attorney Khanindra Raj Katuwal, the prison term against Alam under all the three charges will total up to 32 years. “If not slapped with imprisonment until death, he will be facing 20 years in prison on the murder charge, 10 years more for attempting to murder and an additional two years for causing explosion,” he said.

The police report has mentioned the then Inspector General of Police Om Bikram Rana as a witness in the case. Rana, in his statement recorded with police, has maintained that he was informed about the incident and he had directed police to punish the guilty as per the law.

Police have also got statements of the then central region chief Deputy Inspector General Kiran Gautam and the then government attorney Dhrubamani Gyawali.

The charge-sheet also includes statements that police have recorded from the then inspectors Indra Subedi and Rajiv Basnet, posted in Rajpur at the time of the incident.