CHITWAN: A much awaited verdict on the Krishna Prasad Adhikari murder case was postponed by the District Court Chitwan for the seventh time.

Adhikari was allegedly murdered on June 6, 2004 by the cadres of the CPN Maoist, now called CPN-Maost Centre during the height of Maoist insurgency. Krishna’s father Nanda Prasad died on September 22, 2014 while sitting on fast onto death demanding to book the culprits of his son’s murders. Krishna’s mother Ganga Maya has also been staging hunger strike for nearly four years.

This murder case was filed at the Chitwan District Court on April 13, 2014.

Although the courts have policy to deliver justice in two years, this case has exceeded that limit due to Judges’ absence on the day of final hearing for various reasons.

After the court heard the arguments of lawers representing the accused and the government attorneys on September 27, 2016, Judge Tek Narayan Kunwar had ordered lawyers to present their arguments in writing.

Following this, the case was listed on the cause list on November 8, 2016, but was postponed till November 27 owing to the judge’s absence.

The expected verdict was put off until January 9, 2017 as the Judge had gone to the United Kindom.

The case was again listed on the cause list on Feb 1, 2017 and then put off till March 6, 2017 . The case was again put on the cause list on April 4, 2017, according to Court Registrar Gehendra Raj Panta.

Judge Kunwar was promoted to the judge of High Court and the case was tranfered to the bench of Judge Kavi Prasad Neupane.

However, Judge Neupane has been deputed as the Chief Election Officer in Chitwan during the first round of local polls and has not adjudicated the case which was on the cause list on June 7, 2017 mainly because of the fracas over counting of votes in Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

This time the court has deferred the final hearing for July 12, according to Registrar Panta. He said  the Judge could order the lawyers to present their arguments again or deliver a verdict on the basis of the previous pleadings done by the lawyers.

A local of Phujel in Gorkha district, Adhikari had gone to Ratnanagar, Chitwan to see his grandparents after finishing School Leaving Certificate exam. He was allegedly abducted and killed by Maoist cadres on charges of spying.