Kathmandu. The case against Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, who was accused of being involved in the assassination of Arjun Lama of Kavre during the armed conflict, was scheduled for today. The Supreme Court had also placed the case against Sapkota at number one in the weekly bench in the Constitutional Court. However, the issue was raised in the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
The case, which has been pending in the Supreme Court for the past 10 years, has been heard 20 times so far, but no final hearing has been held. Arjun’s wife Purnimaya Lama had filed a writ petition against Sapkota in the Supreme Court on December 22, 2008. The writ has been pending in the Constitutional Court for the last 10 years.
What’s the matter?
The body of Arjun Lama of Chhatrebanj, Kavre, who was abducted by the then Maoists on April 3, 2006, was found buried two months later at Charkilla in the former Budhakhani VDC of Kavre. The complaint filed by Purnimaya alleging that Sapkota and Suryaman Dong were involved in Lama’s murder was filed by the Kavre District Police Office on July 10, 2008.
However, the Council of Ministers had decided to keep the case registered on the order of the Supreme Court in July 2008. After that, the court had to issue another order on 11 December 2069 not to implement the decision of the Council of Ministers. The appeal of the same issue has come to the apex. The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court had issued an order on July 9, 2008, to seek a copy of the complaint lodged against Sapkota in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
According to the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Court, Purnimaya has already sent a copy of the written complaint filed against Sapkota and Dong to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Purnimaya’s complaint is registered in the commission under number 1492. Human rights groups had filed a writ petition seeking annulment of Sapkota’s appointment as a minister when Baburam Bhattarai was prime minister.
Later, the apex court had issued an order directing the court to proceed with the investigation into the allegations against Sapkot, even though there was no need to issue an interim order restraining him from returning to public office.
The then CPN (Maoist) had decided to make Sapkota the speaker despite strong protests from conflict victims and human rights activists. Sapkota was appointed as the new speaker on January 27.
All three cases heard together
The Supreme Court is examining the writ petition filed against Sapkota on March 10, 2008, by human rights activist Sushil Pyakurel and others alleging non-implementation of the court order.
Sapkota, the then spokesperson of the CPN-Maoist and former Minister of Information and Communication, had filed a contempt case against Kanak Mani Dixit on June 20, 2008, alleging that he had contempt of court as he was a fugitive criminal. Earlier, a joint bench of Justices Ram Kumar Prasad Sah and Prakash Vasti had ordered to submit a report on Lama’s murder case in 15 days.
The progress report of the investigation was to be submitted through the office of the Attorney General every 15 days. However, the District Police Office has been submitting progress reports every month in violation of the Supreme Court’s order. The police have provided details to the Supreme Court about the work done by the police so far by appointing an investigation officer and making banknotes with Krishna Mavic teachers Shiv Narayan Yadav, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Mukunda Prasad Adhikari, and Radheshyam Shrestha.
Following the Supreme Court’s order, Kavre Police has been giving an answer to the Supreme Court that it is investigating to make an arrest. The Supreme Court had ordered to investigate whether Sapkota was involved in Arjun’s murder and to arrest him if he was involved. The case was last filed on April 25. A bench of Sushila Karki and Omprakash Mishra had ordered to take the matter to the Constitutional Court on March 7, 2008.-news karakhana
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