Nepal: Pro-monarchy protest leader Durga Prasai faces sedition charges after 12-day custody
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Synopsis
Durga Prasai, a Nepali businessman, has been remanded for 12 days by the Kathmandu District Court, facing sedition and organised crime charges linked to violent pro-monarchy protests in Tinkune on March 28. His bodyguard is also in custody, while further charges may be added as the investigation continues.
Key Takeaways
- Durga Prasai faces sedition and organised crime charges.
- He is in 12-day custody due to violent protests.
- Pro-monarchy protests in Tinkune resulted in fatalities.
- Authorities may file additional charges against him.
- Police are on high alert following recent violence.
Kathmandu, April 12 (NationPress) Nepali businessman Durga Prasai is set to face charges of sedition and organised crime after the Kathmandu District Court has ordered him to remain in custody for 12 days due to his alleged role in the violent pro-monarchy protests that took place in Tinkune on March 28, as reported by police officials.
The district attorneys who are building the case against Prasai indicated on Friday that more charges could be added as the investigation unfolds.
Authorities are preparing to bring charges against him, including sedition, organised crime, criminal mischief, attempted murder, vandalism of public and private property, and arson, according to local media.
Previously, Prasai was detained in India before being transported back to Kathmandu via the Kakarbhitta border crossing. His bodyguard, Deepak Khadka, who was arrested alongside him, has also been ordered to remain in custody for the same duration.
Prasai was located in Assam, India, on Thursday by a special team from the Nepal Police and was then transferred to Jhapa on Friday, as reported by the prominent Nepali newspaper, The Kathmandu Post.
“With assistance from the Indian police, we successfully located and returned him,” a senior police official noted.
However, supporters of Prasai asserted that he voluntarily surrendered to the Indian authorities after receiving assurance of safety. Reports suggest that the Assam Police facilitated his transfer to the border, where he was handed over to the Nepal Police.
“In line with established practices between Nepal and India, we retrieved Prasai from Assam, where he had been hiding in the residence of a Nepali-speaking family,” stated the Nepal Police representative.
Although Nepal and India lack a formal extradition treaty, the two nations have been cooperating in extraditing suspects based on mutual consent, as reported by the Post.
According to the Nepali police, both Prasai and Khadka have been charged with crimes against the State and involvement in organised crime stemming from the violent demonstrations led by pro-monarchists in Tinkune on March 28.
The Tinkune area experienced heightened tension during the pro-monarchy protests, which were led by the Nawaraj Subedi-headed joint movement committee.
Businessman Durga Prasai has been accused of rallying supporters for the protests, with the Rajendra Lingden-led Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) also endorsing the demonstration.
Tragically, two individuals lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries during violent confrontations between security forces and pro-monarchy protestors in Tinkune, resulting in estimated damages of Nepalese Rs 460 million.
On Tuesday, the pro-monarchist RPP conducted a protest at Balkhu in Kathmandu, advocating for the restoration of the monarchy and the release of detained party leaders and members.
This demonstration was led by RPP chair Lingden, under the motto 'Let’s change the system to change the situation'.
Police maintained a heightened state of alert throughout the event following the Tinkune violence.
The Nepal Police have executed numerous arrests in connection with the violent pro-monarchy protests, including the detainment of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Vice Chairman Rabindra Mishra and General Secretary Dhawal Shamsher Rana.
Earlier this week, the Kathmandu District Court extended the remand of RPP leaders Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shamsher Rana, along with 18 others, for an additional 15 days as part of the ongoing investigation into their alleged roles in the violent pro-monarchy protests.
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has issued a warning regarding potential legal repercussions for pro-monarchy supporters engaged in the violent protests that have shaken the South Asian nation.
Oli emphasized that even former king Gyanendra Shah would face consequences if implicated in the violence from March 28, as reported by local media.
The leader's strong response comes amid escalating tensions in certain areas of Kathmandu following the violent confrontations between security forces and pro-monarchy demonstrators advocating for the revival of the abolished monarchy in Nepal.
