The District Police Office in Kaski has sentenced the chair of ward 24 of Pokhara Metropolitan City to four and half months in jail on caste-based discrimination and untouchability charges.

The single bench of Awani Mainali Bhattarai on Thursday gave its verdict against Bharat Bahadur Adhikari. The court also fined him Rs75,000 and ordered him to pay Rs10,000 as compensation to the victim.

Maiya Nepali, a Dalit member of the ward, had filed a complaint at the District Police Office against Adhikari a year ago stating that the ward chief subjected her to caste-based discrimination during an altercation. Police had immediately detained Adhikari, who was later released on a bail of Rs150,000