Two absconding men accused in the murder of Armed Police Force (APF) Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Thaman BK turned themselves in before the District Court Mahottari on Tuesday before they were freed on general date.

The accused duo—Jaleshwor Municipality Mayor Ram Shankar Mishra and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) General Secretary Suresh Pandey—appeared before court with their lawyers, recorded their statement before the court order their release on general date this afternoon.

According to court registrar Ramananda Adhikari, a single bench of Justice Brijesh Pyakurel released the duo after the court could not find any evidence to prove their role in the crime. During the hearing, Justice Pyakurel said the duo could not be detained only on the basis of call details.

Lawyers Devendra Thakur, Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Ghanshyam Sharma and Gyanendra Lal Karna had pleaded the case on behalf of Mayor Mishra and RJPN General Secretary Pandey.

Earlier on Monday, Province 2 State Minister Aviram Sharma, an accused in the murder of APF officer BK, surrendered to the Mahottari District Court only to be released later on general date.

They were charged with lynching the injured APF officer in Jaleshwor during the Madhes agitation on September 11, 2015. The suspects had allegedly dragged injured officer Thaman BK from an ambulance and killed him, while he was being rushed to Janakpur for treatment.

Thaman’s brother Prem Bahadur BK had filed a complaint at the DPO, Mahottari, against 28 suspects. Based on the complaint, the district court on March 10, 2016 ordered the police to present the suspects before the court to record their statements.

Thaman’s widow Shobha Gahatraj had filed a writ petition at the Janakpur High Court on April 11, 2018, seeking a mandamus order claiming that the Mahottari DPO was reluctant to arrest the suspects.