Monday, March 17, 2008

Man convicted for attempt on CJ’s life
Kathmandu District Court on Sunday convicted one Prabhat Kumar Gupta of Birgunj on the charge of attempting to murder Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri.
Judge Shiva Narayan Yadav announced five years imprisonment for Gupta who "attacked" Giri with a knife at the latter's residence at Ghattekulo on November 30, 2006. Giri, the senior most Justice then, survived the attack but sustained an injury on the thumb of his right hand.
But Gupta, in a statement to the parliament last September, had maintained that he entered the premises of Giri's house to bribe him in a land related case. He further argued that Giri sustained injuries in a skirmish that followed after the former tried to record the conversation between him and Giri.
It may be recalled that the controversial Gupta case had featured prominently when Giri faced the parliamentary confirmation hearing for being nominated as Chief Justice in September last year. Parliamentarians had then questioned during the hearing whether Gupta would get justice after he became the Chief Justice. Giri had evaded the question saying that he would not comment on the case since it was being considered in the district court.
Gupta had staged fast-on-to-death, protesting Giri's nomination as Chief Justice and demanded that parliament disapprove his nomination.
Gupta's lawyer Kedar Karki questioned the impartiality of the verdict today while announcing he would appeal against the verdict at the appellate court.

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