The final hearing on the murder case of Janakpur-based media owner Arun Singhaniya began at the Dhanush District Court on Tuesday.

The lawyers from both plaintiff and defendants argued their cases before the bench presided by Judge Radhakrishna Uprety on the first day of the hearing.

Government attorney Shambhu Gautam argued on behalf of the plaintiff, while advocates Mukesh Karki, Surendra Khadka and Kamal Prasad Khanal argued for the defendants.

Singhaniya, who was the chairman of Janakpur Today Communications Group, was shot dead at Shiva Chowk in Janakpur while celebrating Holi with his colleagues on March 1, 2010.

The District Police Office had filed a chargesheet against 11 people, including former state minister Sanjaya Kumar Sah, in connection to the case.

Sah and six others are currently in judicial custody at the order of the Dhanusha District Court. Dipendra Kusiyat aka Bijay, another accused in the murder, is still at large while the others have been released on bail.Police investigation had found that lawmaker Sah had paid Rs 1 million to Chanardeep, Pawan Lama, Manak Lama and Dipendra Kusiyat to kill Singhaniya.

Soon after Singhaniya was murdered, police had claimed that he was murdered over a news story published on Janakpur Today. Singhaniya’s family have, however, rejected the police claim. “I don’t think he was murdered over the issue of the news. The editor is responsible for the news published not the publisher,” Singhaniya’s son Rahul had told reporters recently.