All prisoners of Tikapur incident released

Four persons, who were serving terms for the Tikapur incident, have been released on Constitution Day today.

Three persons, who were doing time in Kailali Prison and one in a juvenile center in Pokhara, were released this afternoon.

Bir Bahadur Chaudhary (41), Pradeep Chaudhary (25), Hari Narayan Chaudhary (25) were released from Kailali Prison.

Bir Bahadur was arrested on August 31, 2015, Pradeep on September 14 and Hari Narayan on August 25, a day after the Tikapur incident.

Resham Lal Chaudhary, who is said to be the main accused in the incident, has already been released.

Minor Shrawan Chaudhary was also released on Wednesday.

The Kailai District Court on February 24, 2019 handed down a life sentence to 11 people including Chaudhary in connection with the 2015 Tikapur incident in which nine people including seven security personnel and a toddler were killed in a violent clash.

President Ram Chandra Paudel pardoned their remaining jail term on the occasion of Constitution Day.

Nagarik Unmukti Party leader Resham Lal Chaudhary, Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha, lawmaker Arun Chaudhary, party’s province minister and lawmakers among others had reached Kailali Prison to welcome them.

It has been learnt that 30 persons involved in the Tikapur incident are at large.

Resham Lal Chaudhary claimed that the false cases filed against them will be scrapped soon.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had concluded that the Tikapur incident took place under the leadership of Resham Lal  Chaudhary.

It has been mentioned in the full text of the Tikapur incident released by the Supreme Court that Chaudhary was the mastermind of the incident based on various facts.

The apex court had issued the verdict in the Tikapur incident on May 16, 2021.

The Court had said that a group led by Chaudhary killed at least eight people, mostly security personnel including a Senior Superintendent of Police, by attacking them with stones, axes, spears and home-made weapons in an inhumane manner during the Tharuhat movement. Later, they burnt the bodies by pouring kerosene and petrol.

Sharadha Bohara, wife of inspector Keshav Bohara, who was killed in the Tikapur incident, had also filed a case at the Supreme Court demanding rearrest of Chaudhary.

The hearing on the case has not been conducted yet.