Nepal court sends royalist leader to 12-day judicial custody

Kathmandu [Nepal], April 11 (ANI): The Kathmandu District Court has granted police a 12-day judicial custody of royalist leader Durga Prasai, who is accused of inciting violence.
The royalist leader behind the violence of March 28 was arrested and flown to Kathmandu from Kakarvitta on Friday morning. Back in Kathmandu, he's facing charges of inciting violence during the demonstration, which resulted in the death of two people, including a media person.
The charges stem from the violent royalist protest led by Prasai and Nawaraj Subedi on March 28, which resulted in the deaths of two people and caused an estimated Rs 460 million in damages.
Authorities say they are preparing to demand strong legal action, holding Prasai accountable for inciting violence and causing significant public harm.
"The bench of Judge Shishirraj Dhakal of District Court, Kathmandu granted 12-day custody to the Police to investigate Prasai on charges of crimes against the state," Information Officer Deepak Kumar Shrestha confirmed to ANI over the phone.
Similarly, the deadline of 12 days has been extended against his bodyguard Deepak Khadka, who was arrested along with Prasai. Along with, the court has ordered police to arrange treatment for Prasai, provided he is claimed to be a cancer patient.
On March 28, Prasai drove a vehicle into the barrage of police personnel, which forced the use of weapons and became the flash point to break the violence. Following the clash, the royalist groups vandalised over 40 structures, which included private as well as public properties and some media houses.
Some of those properties were also looted, while some were burnt down. Apart from it, a total of 69 vehicles were torched by the royalist forces whom Prasai, while tearing down the barrage, had called onto break-in.
The violence, which prompted deployment of the Nepal Army and imposition of a curfew, had left 129 injured, including the security personnel. Out of those injured, five are still in hospital undergoing treatment.
For the March 28 protest, a joint people's movement committee was formed for the restoration of the royal institution under the leadership of RPP leader Navraj Subedi, the former president of Rashtriya Panchayat, led by businessman Prasai. Subedi also announced Prasai as the commander of the Jan Andolan Committee. (ANI)