Kathmandu: The High Court benches in Janakpur and Birgunj have acquitted former Nepali Congress lawmaker Aftab Alam, overturning a life sentence handed down by the Rautahat District Court in a high-profile murder case linked to the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections.
Alam had been convicted of orchestrating a bomb-making operation in Rajpur, Rautahat, during which a device exploded. He was accused of subsequently killing the injured survivors, including Trilok Pratap Singh and Oshi Akhtar, by burning them alive in a brick kiln to destroy evidence.
The explosion and alleged killings took place on April 9, 2008, the eve of the elections.
More than a decade later, police arrested Alam on October 9, 2019.
The Rautahat District Court found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.
However, the High Court ruled in his favor, citing insufficient evidence to uphold the conviction.