POKHARA: Kaski District Court on Monday sent 13 suspects of murder of Nepali Congress district leader Ramji Paudel to custody for further investigation.

According to Shrestedar Din Bandhu Baral, a single bench of district judge Narishwor Bhandari, sent the suspects to judicial custody on Monday evening.

Alleged Raju Ranabhat, Ashok Gurung and Biswas Gautam of Lekhanath Municipality and Prakash Gurung of Tanahun district were sent to the custody for their direct involvement in the murder case.

Similarly, Bharat Paudel and Min Bahadur Ghale of Nawalparasi, Birendra Kumar Rana Magar of Rupandehi, Rabin Chhetri of Syangja and Chandra Bahadur Thapa of Tanahu have also been sent to jail for helping the other suspects to flee.

Police said three other suspects including Rabin KC are still on the run.

Extensive search for the absconding suspects is going on, said police.

NC leader Paudel was murdered on August 13 while returning home from an internal party meeting near the Prithvi Highway at Gagangauda in Lekhanath Municipality-12, Kaski.

The family of late Paudel had filed an FIR against Biswas Gautam, Raju Ranabhat, Prakash Gurung and Lekhanath Municipality NC President, Rajendra Mani Lamichhane.

However, police could not gather enough evidences against Lamichhane and he was declared innocent.