Court resumes recording Maoist leader Yadav’s statement

Kathmandu, Oct 18-The Patan Appellate Court Tuesday resumed recording the statement of Maoist politburo member Matrika Yadav in connection with his alleged involvement in the murder of then Inspector General (IG) of the Armed Police Force, Krishna Mohan Shrestha, in 2003.
Yadav and Suresh Ale Magar, another central Maoist leader facing the same charge, were produced before the court on September 30 for the first time.
Then on October 2, the court had postponed the hearing after Yadav gave ‘unwarranted’ statement regarding the charge against him. Another accused Ale Magar had denied his involvement in the killing during the first trial.
The Maoist leaders were arrested in India some 20 months ago and were handed over to Nepali authorities. Both remained in army custody throughout these months.
IGP Shrestha was gunned down - along with his wife and bodyguard - by Maoist assailants on the morning of January 26, 2003 in Kathmandu
The two are in police custody on charge of killing Shrestha. The two Maoist leaders, along with Maoist supremo Prachanda, Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ and Baburam Bhattarai, have been charged with murder by the government for the killing of Shrestha, his wife and a bodyguard in a shootout carried out by suspected Maoists in Lalitpur over two-and-a-half years ago.
The government has demanded maximum punishment for the accused under the clause 3 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Control Ordinance. The two leaders have been kept in detention under the same ordinance.