The Janakpur High Court has acquitted Mohammad Aftab Alam, a former minister and Nepali Congress leader, who was serving a life sentence in a murder case. The bench of judges Khushi Prasad Tharu and Arjun Maharjan reversed the verdict of Rautahat District Court, which had convicted Alam and three others in a case involving a bomb explosion and alleged murder.
The case dates back to April 9, 2008, when a bomb exploded at Alam’s home in previous Rajpur Farhadwa-4, Rautahat, during the Constituent Assembly elections. Alam, then a NC candidate, was accused of bringing bomb experts from India to influence the polls. Two individuals, Pintu (Trilok Pratap Singh) and Osi Akhtar Miya, were injured in the blast.
The district court had ruled that Alam burned the injured victims in a brick kiln to destroy evidence, but the High Court found insufficient proof to uphold this charge.
Alam, a two-time MP and former Labor and Transport Minister, was arrested only 12 years after the incident on October 13, 2019, following a Supreme Court order directing police to expedite investigations. He has been detained at Nakkhu Jail in Lalitpur since then.
The case had seen prolonged delays, with allegations that Alam used political influence to suppress evidence. The Supreme Court had to intervene multiple times to ensure progress in the investigation.
With the High Court’s acquittal, Alam has been cleared of the charges, marking a significant turn in the long-standing legal battle.
Former NC MP Alam is set to be released from prison today itself, with the High Court’s acquittal.
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