Rautahat, October 20

Rautahat District Court today extended Nepali Congress lawmaker Mohammad Aftab Alam’s police custody by five days.

Alam was arrested on murder charges on October 13 and remanded to seven-day custody on October 15.

A single bench of District Judge Chanakmani Aryal extended Alam’s custody to allow police to continue investigation. Police had sought extension of custody by seven more days, but the court added only five days.

Eight legal professionals spoke on behalf of Alam at the district court today.

Government District Attorney Khadindraraj Katuwal had taken part in the deliberation against Alam. Alam has hired 27 legal eagles to speak on his behalf.

A police team led by DSP Nabin Karki from Rautahat District Police Office had arrested Alam, also a former minister, for his involvement in an explosion at Rajpur Kharadawa on 9 April 2008.

The explosion had occurred while Alam was getting people to make bombs at his home with the intention of seizing booths on the eve of the first Constituent Assembly election. Eight persons, including Oshi Akhtar and Trilok Pratap Singh of Yamunamai Rural Municipality were critically injured in the blast.

According to Rautahat District Police Office, Alam is accused of having packed the injured persons in sacks, killing them and dumping their bodies in a brick kiln belonging to his relative.

After the court’s remand, Alam told journalists that a plot had been hatched to trap him in a false case. “The state is trying to conspire against me as the government attorney had ruled that no case could be filed against me then,” Alam said.

After his remand, Alam was taken to Rautahat District Police Office today.

Alam was elected to the House of Representatives from Rautahat Constituency-2.

Meanwhile, police are preparing to file two cases against Alam after one of the injured in the bomb explosion of 2008 reported the incident to the police.

According to District Attorney Khadindraraj Katuwal, two separate cases will be filed against him — making bombs and murder.