The Rajbiraj bench of Janakpur High Court on Thursday ordered the release of suspended Madhesh Province assembly member Anirudra Kumar Singh on bail.

A joint bench of judges Munendra Prasad Awasthi and Purna Prasad Rajbanshi quashed an earlier order of Saptari District Court to send Singh to judicial custody until a verdict and released him on Rs120,000 bail.

On September 5, the Saptari District Court had sent him to judicial custody until a verdict on murder and robbery charges. He was kept at Saptari District Jail following the court’s order.

Singh, who was elected to the Madhesh provincial assembly from Saptari 4(2) as an independent member, was arrested on September 4 for allegedly murdering a Maoist cadre some 16 years ago.

On June 23, 2007, 32-year-old Govinda Chaudhary, alias Deepu, of the then Khoksar Parbaha Village Development Committee was found murdered.

Rita Kumari Chaudhary, the sister of the deceased, filed a complaint against nine people including Singh six days after the murder. Singh was on the absconding list before he was arrested in September.