Police made public a former cadre of Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party in connection with the murder on Saturday. Babu Thapa, who was presented to the media, was held in Rautahat district on Friday.

Also arrested were Karan Chaudhary, 38, of Janakpur, a sharp shooter, Prem Raj Khadka, motorbike rider, and Deepak Karna of Janakpur who assisted in the crime.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Hemanta Malla Thakuri, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau, said Sanjay Ismali Magar, 28, also involved in the plot, is working in Saudi Arabia. He said the police are taking help from Interpol to nab him.

Police said Thapa had premeditated the murder to exact revenge after Justice Bam sentenced members of his gang to long prison terms. Also, the rife between Thapa and Keshab Mainali, then chairman of the

Chure Bhawar party, and the SC decision to reinstate Mainali as it chairperson had infuriated Thapa.

In 2008, a leadership row between Mainali and Thapa came to the fore. Thapa was the vice-chairman of the party, aspiring to lead it. After repeated failures to rise to prominence, Thapa knocked reported the case to the Election Commission which mediated to end the row between the two. On June 10, 2009, both the leaders held parallel general conventions.

This time around, the EC recognised Thapa’s leadership and Mainali was overthrown. Mainali then moved the Supreme Court and a single bench of Justice Bam stayed the EC order and reinstated Mainali.

“This is when Thapa started plotting murders of people who stood against his leadership. Justice Bam was his first target,” said DIG Thakuri.

“Thapa believed the court verdict had foiled his prospects of becoming the state minister for home affairs.”

Thapa established his own Nepal Janata Swatantra Swabhiman Rastriya Party. While he was looking for sharp shooters, he met Chaudhary in Jaleshowor jail where the former was in custody on abduction charge.  Chaudhary was doing time for illegal arms possession.

In March 2012, Thapa shared his plan with Magar who recommended inducting Chaudhary for his “bravery and courage”.

On May 31, 2012, three masked assailants riding three Pulsar motorcycles opened fire at Bam’s car (Ba 8 Cha 9853) near UN Park in Lalitpur at 11:02 am. Bam, who got four bullets in his neck, chest, armpit and belly, died at Norvic Hospital, Thapathali, at 1:30pm the same day. Bam’s friend Ram Giri and Personal Security Officer ASI Mahesh Giri were also injured.

A permanent resident of Kalanki, Bam was on his way to the Supreme Court at Ramshahpath after visiting the Patan-based Banglamukhi temple.

Police had found a red Pulsar motorcycle (Ba 43 Pa 7208), used by the shooters, in an abandoned state at Koteshwor. Seven bullet shells recovered from the crime scene were of a 7.65mm pistol.

The shooting that occurred four days after the dissolution of the first Constituent Assembly, was considered a major incident.

The Baburam Bhattarai-led government formed a high-level team under AIG Kuber Singh Rana to probe the murder. The committee submitted its report after five months but failed to find the motive.

Inspector General of Police Upendra Kanta Aryal hailed at the press conference the police’s ability to crack the high-profile case.

DIG Thakuri said they are yet to investigate the gang’s plan to take action against other people.

Who is Thapa?

Megh Bahadur Thapa, alias Babu Thapa, joined the Chure Bhawar protest that followed the Madhes movement in 2007. He had quit his job in the Indian Army. He got close to Keshav Prasad Mainali, the leader of the protest. Originally from Dhungrekhola in Sarlahi, Thapa became senior vice-chairman of the Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party later. Thapa also led the party’s youth wing. He had a criminal background when he came to politics.

Thapa was a first-past-the-post candidate from Dhanusha-7 in the Constituent Assembly election in 2008. He got 3,300 votes to secure the forth place.

The party nominated Mainali in the only seat it had won under the proportional representation system. Dissatisfied, Thapa split the party.

Thapa and his team thrashed party Vice-chairman Badri Neupane and Mainali’s son for not nominating him.