Nayapatrika: What do you have to say about the presidential pardon for you which has become an issue of national politics?
Balkrishna Dhugel: The issue has been overblown. This is an attempt to criminalise the insurgency and the Maoists.

What do you think is the intention behind this?
Those who had fixed a reward on our heads still want to finish us off. They have been trying to find a way to criminalise the Maoist movement and people's movement.

Where were you at the time of incident? What had actually happened?
It was purely political, not personal at all. We found him spying on us and he was eliminated.

What proof do you have that he was a spy?
The government categorised the conflict affected areas and recruited influential people in the regions to carry out the mission in 1996. Ujjan Shrestha used to live in Kathmandu. He was sent to village as advised by Bal Bahadur Rai and Gopal Rai to spy on us. He went back to village the following year. The government launched a bloody operation in Likhu areas in which families of the Maoists and Jana Morcha were killed and displaced. He played major role in this. The police arrested 47 people including me, Puskar Gautam, Shambhu Gautam, Madhav Dhungel, Prem Prasad Dhungel among others. We were released on bail when Bamdev Gautam was the home minister.

What did you do to Ujjan after that?
He was still working as an agent. We warned him, asked his relatives to convince him, party formally approached his family but he continued. Then, the party concluded that he should be eliminated.

Which level of the party had decided?
If we have to eliminate someone during the insurgency, we had to take permission from the party command. No district or area command could take decision on elimination.

What was your position in the party then?
We had demarcated areas from Tamakosi to Ramechhap including some VDCs of Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Solukhumbu and Bhojpur as our eastern base. Biswa was in-charge of the area and I was next to him.

How did the case reach the court and how did you land up in jail?
I was involved in politics since 1986 and went underground from 1996. The incident took place when I was underground. The government launched a massive operation in the region. The party had concluded that he was a plain clothed policeman. Locals were arrested, tortured and forced them to sign in a paper saying Balkrishna Dhungel and Puskar Gautam were involved in killing. I was arrested in 1999 and released in 2006.

What will you do if the president doesn't grant you a pardon?
I am a responsible party member. Whatever party decides is my decision.