Appellate court extends Himal sharma's detention

Kathmandu, Jan 10- The Patan Appellate Court on monday extended the detention of former general secretary of the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary), Himal Sharma. Sharma’s 20-day detention period had ended yesterday.A division bench of judges Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Keshar Man Pati extended Sharma’s detention.

The government has produced Sharma before the court accusing him of involvement in the murder of colonel Kiran Basnet. A group of unidentified Maoists had shot dead Basnet at his New Baneshwor residence around two years ago.

A day after his re-arrest from the Supreme Court on December 19 last year, the Kathmandu District Police Office (KDPO) had slapped the Maoist student leader with a fresh Murder charge. Hearing a habeas corpus petition on December 19, the apex court had released Sharma but the government had rearrested him immediately.

On December 20, the KDPO had produced Sharma before the Appellate Court and got an additional 20-day detention period to investigate into the new murder charge.