The Supreme Court directed the government not to execute its decision to pardon murder convict UCPN (Maoist) CA member Bal Krishna Dhungel on Wednesday.
A three-member special bench of Justices Kalyan Shrestha, Sushila Karki and Kamal Narayan issued a stay order on government recommendation to grant amnesty to Dhungel until another order.
A single bench of Justice Tahir Ali Ansari has instructed the president and the government not to act on the government recommendation to pardon Dhungel on 13 November.
On 8 November the Cabinet had decided to recommend Dhungel for presidential pardon, claiming the case against him was politically motivated. The decision had drawn criticism from all quarters.
The Supreme Court had convicted Dhungel last year for the murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga in 1998. Two days after the government appeal, Ujjan’s sister Sabitri Shrestha had moved the apex court against the cabinet decision.
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