SC overturns Rigal’s amnesty

Kathmandu, Nov 02: The Supreme Court, today, has annulled the amnesty given by the President to Yogaraj Dhakal alias ‘Rigal’, a murder convict.

A constitutional bench comprising justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Sapana Pradhan Malla and Kumar Chudal, today ruled that the order was against the principle of justice and equality before law.

President Ram Chandra Poudel, on recommendation of the cabinet, had granted amnesty to altogether 670 convicts including Rigal who had served only forty per cent of ten years’ imprisonment awarded to him in 2020.

Rigal had killed a local citizen Chetan Manandhar in Nepalgunj with lethal weapons eight years ago. He was subsequently arrested, tried and convicted by the Court four years ago.

Manandhar’s wife Bharati had filed a petition seeking annulment of the presidential amnesty and Rigal’s return to jail.

Earlier, on October 05, the single bench of justice Manoj Sharma had issued show cause to the government including the President’s secretariat.