The Dhanusha District Court on Monday extended the remand of Kantipur Media Group Chairman Kailash Sirohiya by three days.

A single bench of Judge Yaduraj Sharma allowed the district police office to keep Sirohiya in custody until Wednesday for further investigation.

On Friday, the court had extended his remand for three days. Police presented him before the court on Monday to have his remand extended. After an hours-long hearing, Judge Sharma extended the remand by three days.

The police asked the court to extend the remand, saying the signature on Sirohiya’s citizenship mentioning the date of birth has been sent for forensic test and the report is awaited.

The then administrative officer of the Dhanusha District Administration Office has said the signature on the copy of the citizenship certificate is authentic and his own.

On Saturday, police in Dhanusha interrogated Kashiraj Dahal, who was an administrative officer in the district 24 years ago, on the issue. During the interrogation, Dahal said the sign on Sirohiya’s citizenship copy was his own and was issued based on the original document.

The extension of judicial custody comes despite national and international media organisations, rights bodies, business fraternity and leaders condemning the arrest. Protest programmes have been organised in various districts of Madhesh Province, including Dhanusha, demanding Sirohiya’s immediate release.

Police on May 21 arrested Sirohiya, weeks after Indrajit Mahato, a cadre of Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane’s Rastriya Swatantra Party, filed a complaint at the District Police Office in Dhanusha stating that the number on Sirohiya’s citizenship certificate was the same as that on another person’s citizenship certificate.

Sirohiya is currently undergoing treatment at the Janakpur-based Kavya Hospital following heart-related problems.

Police arrested Sirohiya and started investigation stating that another person Shivaji Sahu Teli also has a citizenship certificate with the same number.

Chief District Officer Ramuraj Kadariya and Superintendent of Police Bhuwaneshwar Tiwari have allegedly kept Teli, who ekes out a living as a rickshaw puller, under pressure. They have instructed him not to meet anyone or talk to them. The local administration has deployed some detectives to monitor Teli's activities.

The investigation officers reached Teli’s residence and quizzed him a few days ago. He was also summoned to the District Police Office for inquiry.

Earlier, the Post had made several attempts to meet Teli for reporting, but was unsuccessful. The Post was finally able to meet a panic-stricken Teli, along with his wife Pawandevi Sahu, on Monday.

“Police have told me not to meet or talk to anyone. I am under stress. My health has worsened and I have been suffering from anxiety,” said Teli, an asthma patient. Teli said that in the past few days he had been unable to go to the city to operate his rickshaw.