Kathmandu: Member of Province Parliament Deepak Manange has been arrested by a team from Nepal Police’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Kathmandu. According to CIB spokesperson Howindra Bogati, Manange was detained on Tuesday from the Sano Bhrayang area of the capital.
Manange, who represents Province 1 (Kha) in the federal parliament, had been on the run since the Supreme Court sentenced him to five years in prison for his involvement in a murder case on November 5. The court’s verdict had been announced on the 20th of Kartik in the Nepali calendar (November 5, 2023).
Following the verdict, Manange went into hiding and was listed among the most-wanted individuals by police. In the days prior to his arrest, he had stated that he would appear before the court once the full written verdict was issued. He had also announced in a press release that he needed to turn off his phone after the court ruling and would report to the authorities once the official verdict was received.
Deepak Manange was elected as an independent lawmaker from the Manang constituency 1(Kha) in the 2017 provincial elections. His arrest has made headlines in Nepal as he was a prominent figure in local politics.