The President’s office has suggested the Ministry of Home Affairs to proceed as per the law in the proposal for a presidential pardon for Resham Chaudhary.

A proposal to release Chaudhary, the jailed leader of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, through a presidential pardon on Republic Day [May 29] had reached the President’s office on Wednesday.

The office on Friday returned the file with an opinion after studying it, said Khila Karki, press coordinator to President Ramchandra Paudel.

“The President’s office has returned the file asking the ministry to act as per the prevailing law on the pardon, verdict of the Supreme Court on the case, and principles formulated by the court,” said Karki.

The former lawmaker Chaudhary is currently serving a life term after being convicted of masterminding the 2015 Tikapur massacre.

On May 16, the Supreme Court had upheld the decision of Dipayal High Court to sentence Chaudhary to life for the Tikapur massacre where seven security personnel and a toddler were killed. The ministry has taken the process ahead even as the apex court has yet to issue the full text of the verdict on the case.

There have been a number of attempts by several governments to release Chaudhary, who won the 2017 election while still in hiding after being accused in the Tikapur incident.

In December last year, the government even brought an ordinance to release Chaudhary and other inmates jailed in the course of political agitations, but later decided to drop the idea.

Seven police personnel, including a Senior Superintendent of Nepal Police, and a toddler were killed during violent protests in Tikapur on August 24, 2015, in the run-up to the promulgation of the constitution.

The Kailali District Court slapped a life sentence on Chaudhary identifying him as the main accused, and the verdict was later endorsed by the Dipayal High Court.

He surrendered before the Kailali district court in February 2018 and has been serving a life sentence at the Dillibazar prison in the Capital.