Suspected Terrorists Released

Kathmandu, March 8- The Special Court on Tuesday released three suspected Kasmiri terrorists after they were served one-year jail terms and other five others were given clean chits as their involvement in terrorists activities could not be established.

A three-member judge panel of Bhoopdhoj Adhikary, Komal Nath Sharma and Cholendra Sumsher Rana issued the verdict following the final hearing on the case on Tuesday.

Those who got one-year jail are: Basir Ahamad Mir, Mustak Ahmad Dadu and Ajat Ahamad. But the three were freed as they had already served their sentences. The three suspected Kasmiri terrorists had been held by Nepal Police in October 2004.

The government had prosecuted them on sedition charges, claiming they had been using Nepali soil to help the Mujahidden terrorist outfit and providing financial aid to the terrorists body, and hence were violating Clause 5 of the State Offence Act 1990.

The Special Court also issued clean chit to other alleged terrorists Jamal Khan, Muphul Sen, Sajad Alam, Mohammad Ramjan Alimiya and Amir Waffar Madinee.

The Special Court said the suspected terrorists had to be released for the lack of evidence linking them with terrorists activities. President of Nepal Bar Association, Shambhu Thapa, and General Secretary Madhav Banskota pleaded on behalf of the alleged terrorists while lawyer Ramesh Raj Pokhrel pleaded on behalf of the government.