• National
  • Politics
  • Valley
  • Opinion
  • Money
  • Sports
  • Culture & Lifestyle

  • National
    • Madhesh Province
    • Lumbini Province
    • Bagmati Province
    • National Security
    • Koshi Province
    • Gandaki Province
    • Karnali Province
    • Sudurpaschim Province
  • Politics
  • Valley
    • Kathmandu
    • Lalitpur
    • Bhaktapur
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • As it is
    • Letters
    • Editorial
    • Cartoon
  • Money
  • Sports
    • Cricket
    • Football
    • International Sports
  • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Brunch with the Post
    • Movies
    • Life & Style
    • Theater
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Fashion
  • Health
  • Food
    • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Investigations
  • Climate & Environment
  • World
  • Science & Technology
  • Interviews
  • Visual Stories
  • Crosswords & Sudoku
  • Horoscope
  • Forex
  • Corrections
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Today's ePaper
Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Without Fear or FavourUNWIND IN STYLE

22.34°C Kathmandu
Air Quality in Kathmandu: 70
300+Hazardous
0-50Good
51-100Moderate
101-150Unhealty for Sensitive Groups
151-200Unhealthy
201-300Very Unhealthy
Wed, Aug 13, 2025
22.34°C Kathmandu
Air Quality in Kathmandu: 70
  • What's News :

  • MCC Nepal compact
  • Transitional justice appointments
  • FATF grey list
  • Gandaki bureaucratic overhaul
  • Nepali women athletes
  • Movie review

National

Mahara cleared of all charges by Kathmandu District Court

Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the former House Speaker who had been accused of attempted rape, was acquitted by district judge Ambar Raj Paudel. Mahara cleared of all charges by Kathmandu District Court
District Judge Ambar Raj Paudel pronounced the judgment on Monday afternoon after completing the hearing on Sunday. Hemanta Shrestha/TKP
bookmark
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • Whatsapp
  • mail
Tika R Pradhan
Published at : February 17, 2020
Updated at : February 17, 2020 18:05
Kathmandu

Kathmandu District Court on Monday acquitted former House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara of all charges. Mahara was accused of attempted rape.

“Judge Ambar Raj Poudel decided to clear Mahara of all charges today,” said Gyan Bahadur Karki, information officer at the Kathmandu District Court.

Read: Why the rape charges against Speaker is a litmus test for police, the ruling party and government

District Judge Paudel pronounced the judgment on Monday afternoon after completing the hearing on Sunday.

“The court was preparing for the final verdict on Sunday, but it had to be postponed till Monday because of the lack of time,” said Tika Singh Khatri, joint spokesperson of the court.

Read: A scandal that could mean curtains for Mahara’s long political career

Mahara is the first high-profile politician to go to trial for attempted rape allegations. Although Mahara stepped down as Speaker of the House after the allegations came to light, he has not resigned as a Member of Parliament. Now that he has been cleared of all charges, Mahara can go back to the House of Representatives as a full member.

Mahara was arrested on October 6, two days after a woman who works at the Parliament Secretariat, lodged a complaint with the police, accusing Mahara of attempted rape on September 29.

Police filed a charge sheet against Mahara on October 31, demanding five to seven-and-a-half years in jail.

District Judge Ambar Raj Paudel had initially heard arguments from a number of senior advocates including Raman Shrestha, Sher Bahadur KC, Lava Mainali, Dinmani Pokhrel and Bhimarjun Acharya, who had argued on behalf of Mahara, while government attorneys Umakanta Poudel, Chandra Kanta Khanal, Hari Prasad Regmi, Shanti Neupane and Binita Kapali argued from the government’s side.

On November 4, the Kathmandu District Court had remanded Mahara into judicial custody in Dillibazar prison.

Chief Judge of the district court Sudarshan Raj Pandey had decided to remand him to custody following the detention hearing.

On November 21, Mahara moved the Patan High Court, challenging the remand order of the Kathmandu District Court. But the Patan High Court on December 19 quashed Mahara’s plea and upheld the district court’s decision. Citing the urgency of the case, the high court urged the district court to finalise the case within a month. The verdict, however, came after two months.

Read Related Stories:-

- Police arrest Krishna Bahadur Mahara over rape allegations

- Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara steps down amid rape allegations

- Nepalis are furious and are demanding action after rape allegations against House Speaker


Tika R Pradhan

Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.


Related News

Conflict victims file petition against transitional justice appointments
Election Commission recognises Ranjita Shrestha as Nagarik Unmukti Party chair
What changes are being proposed to marriage laws in Nepal?
Two found dead in septic tank in Duhabi
Home minister says probe committee formed to investigate Kailali prison clash
Araniko Highway closed for 11 days due to landslides

Most Read from National

60 percent of jar water samples collected from Godawari found contaminated with faecal coliform
UN panel backs Nepal’s plan to relax marriage age bar
USAID closure harms pro-democracy development efforts in Nepal
Tigers thrive, conflicts decline in Nepal
Over 61 percent of students pass Grade 12 exams

Editor's Picks

Students say they are abused under guise of discipline at a Kathmandu school
Exploring ‘forbidden’ hours: Women assert access to public space with midnight walks
Nepali women being sent to Hong Kong on fake Indian IDs
Bitter husband-wife rift throws Nagarik Unmukti Party into chaos
Drought-hit farmers die hooking wires to mains for irrigation

E-PAPER | August 13, 2025

  • Read ePaper Online
×
ABOUT US
  • About the Post
  • Masthead
  • Editorial Standards & Integrity
  • Workplace Harassment Policy
  • Privacy Policy
READ US
  • Home Delivery
  • ePaper
CONTACT US
  • Write for the Post
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Advertise in the Post
  • Work for the Post
  • Send us a tip
INTERACT WITH US
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
OUR SISTER PUBLICATIONS
  • eKantipur
  • saptahik
  • Nepal
  • Nari
  • Radio Kantipur
  • Kantipur TV
© 2025 www.kathmandupost.com
  • Privacy Policy
Top